Reading The Mark of Athena
by IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide
Summary: Thalia, Percy, and Nico get sent back in time to read MoA with Camp Half-Blood a year before the Quest for the Master Bolt. What happens when they start reading? I do not own PJO or HoO. Rated T for some swearing. Characters may be a little OOC.
1. Annabeth I

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and The Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus series. Rick Riordan does. **

* * *

_**Camp Half-Blood, 1 year before the Quest for Zeus's Master Bolt**_

_**Luke's POV**_

I was just walking out of the sword arena, when I heard some shouts coming from the area of the Big House. I started running, and I found myself face to face with three people; a boy with sea-green eyes, black, untamed hair, and an athletic build. He looked about eighteen years old. A girl with electric blue eyes, black, spiky hair, freckles, and she was wearing a circlet on her head. She looked fifteen. I gasped when I realized who she was. Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, and my friend who was supposed to be a tree. The other kid who was with them was about fourteen years old, and he had dark eyes, pale skin, but he looked like he smiled a lot.

The first guy I saw looked around and saw me. His eyes suddenly became sad, though I couldn't figure why. I mean, I had never seen this guy in my life. After looking at me, he spoke to the rest of the group of demigods, and smiled when he saw Annabeth.

"Hello, demigods," His voice was smooth, like waves gently crashing upon the sand. "I don't remember Camp looking like this, and you all look younger, so does anyone mind telling us what year it is?"

Annabeth was the first to respond, "It's 2007, and what do you mean, 'you don't remember Camp looking like this?'"

I cracked a smile, _there she goes, asking questions, wanting to know more,_ I thought fondly.

Thalia spoke up this time, "Well, Perce, Nico, and I apparently have traveled back in time. We're from the year 2013," All of us assembled nodded. That explained it. But, I still wanted to know one more thing.

"Thalia, aren't you supposed to be a tree?" I questioned.

She smiled wryly, "Why, yes, I am. But Mister Percy Jackson, my awesome cousin, found a way to bring me back to life." The guy, who spoke first, who I supposed to be Percy, glared at her.

"Thals," He warned.

Nico, who hadn't spoken yet, smiled evilly at Percy, "Don't deny it, Perce. You are her awesome cousin, as well as mine."

Percy sighed, and shook his head. "I hate you two," he muttered.

Thalia and Nico grinned, "Love you, too, cuz." They said in unison.

Annabeth's eyes widened, "You said they were your cousins. Does that mean they're children of the Big Three as well?"

Nico, Percy, and Thalia grinned, "Yup," Percy said, "I'm a son of Poseidon. Nico here is a son of Hades, and I assume you all know Thals' parentage."

Everyone's eyes widened, "Shouldn't you three be trying to kill each other?" Clarisse asked.

The children of the Big Three laughed. "We should, but we're pretty close." Nico smiled. Thalia and Percy nodded, agreeing with him. If possible, our eyes widened. Who would've ever thought that children of the Big Three could get along?

I was about to ask a question, when all of a sudden, a book appeared, and hit Travis, my half-brother, on the head. Connor and I laughed at him, while he let out a small yelp of pain. Travis picked up the book, and read out, "_The Mark of Athena_ sounds interesting. Who wants to read first?"

Nico raised his hand, and turned to the first page, **"Annabeth I." **He read. Annabeth's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. So, this book was in her point of view. This should be interesting.

**Until she met the exploding statue, Annabeth thought she was prepared for anything.**

"Well, it makes sense. I mean, who isn't prepared for an exploding statue?" Connor laughed.

**She'd paced the deck of their flying warship, the Argo II, checking and double-checking the ballistae to make sure they were locked down. She confirmed that the white "We come in peace" flag was flying from the mast. She reviewed the plan with the rest of the crew—and the backup plan, and the backup plan for the backup plan.**

Annabeth nodded in approval of her future self's actions.

**Most important, she pulled aside their war-crazed chaperone, Coach Gleeson Hedge, and encouraged him to take the morning off in his cabin and watch reruns of mixed martial arts championships. The last thing they needed as they flew a magical Greek trireme into a potentially hostile Roman camp was a middle-aged satyr in gym clothes waving a club and yelling "Die!"**

"Wait. Roman camp?" Annabeth questioned.

The newcomers looked at each other, "The future is . . . well, different." Thalia explained.

Annabeth looked confused but, nodded at Nico to tell him to keep reading.

**Everything seemed to be in order. Even that mysterious chill she'd been feeling since the ship launched had dissipated, at least for now.**

"That doesn't sound good," I said out loud. Everyone nodded in agreement.

**The warship descended through the clouds, but Annabeth couldn't stop second-guessing herself. What if this was a bad idea? What if the Romans panicked and attacked them on sight?**

**The Argo II definitely did not look friendly. Two hundred feet long, with a bronze-plated hull, mounted repeating crossbows fore and aft, a flaming metal dragon for a figurehead, and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fire explosive bolts powerful enough to blast through concrete …**

"AWESOME!" Clarisse and the other Ares campers shouted.

**well, it wasn't the most appropriate ride for a meet-and-greet with the neighbors.**

**Annabeth had tried to give the Romans a heads-up. She'd asked Leo to send one of his special inventions—a holographic scroll—to alert their friends inside the camp. Hopefully the message had gotten through. Leo had wanted to paint a giant message on the bottom of the hull—WASSUP? with a smiley face—but Annabeth vetoed the idea.**

"C'mon, Annie! I'm sure the Romans woulda appreciated it!" The Stoll brothers complained.

Percy chuckled, "If I know one thing about the Romans, it's that they are dead serious."

Thalia smirked, "And how do you know this, Kelp Head?"

"Well, for one thing, I spent a decent amount of time with them," He said, pulling up his sleeve, and showing a tattoo that had SPQR on it with a trident above the word, "and, Wise Girl helped me." Percy finished, smiling smugly.

"Wise Girl helps you out with everything," Nico said, rolling his eyes.

"True dat!" Thalia shouted while she high-fived him.

Percy pouted, while everyone else laughed.

**She wasn't sure the Romans had a sense of humor.**

The Hermes cabin and I looked horrified.

**Too late to turn back now.**

"You make it sound like you're gonna die, Annie." I told her. She gave me a quick glare, but a small smile with it.

**The clouds broke around their hull, revealing the gold-and-green carpet of the Oakland Hills below them. Annabeth gripped one of the bronze shields that lined the starboard rail.**

**Her three crewmates took their places.**

**On the stern quarterdeck, Leo rushed around like a madman, checking his gauges and wrestling levers. Most helmsmen would've been satisfied with a pilot's wheel or a tiller. Leo had also installed a keyboard, monitor, aviation controls from a Learjet, a dubstep soundboard, and motion-control sensors from a Nintendo Wii. He could turn the ship by pulling on the throttle, fire weapons by sampling an album, or raise sails by shaking his Wii controllers really fast. Even by demigod standards, Leo was seriously ADHD.**

"Now, Leo's my kind of guy," I grinned.

**Piper paced back and forth between the mainmast and the ballistae, practicing her lines.**

"Ahh, Piper." Percy murmured fondly.

"**Lower your weapons," she murmured. "We just want to talk."**

**Her charmspeak was so powerful, the words flowed over Annabeth, filling her with the desire to drop her dagger and have a nice long chat.**

Everyone sniggered at that.

**For a child of Aphrodite, Piper tried hard to play down her beauty.**

"WHAT!" The Aphrodite cabin screeched.

Everyone laughed at the cabin's horrified faces.

**Today she was dressed in tattered jeans, worn-out sneakers, and a white tank top with pink Hello Kitty designs. (Maybe as a joke, though Annabeth could never be sure with Piper.) Her choppy brown hair was braided down the right side with an eagle's feather.**

**Then there was Piper's boyfriend—Jason. He stood at the bow on the raised crossbow platform, where the Romans could easily spot him. His knuckles were white on the hilt of his golden sword. Otherwise he looked calm for a guy who was making himself a target.**

"And there goes my little bro." Thalia smiled. Percy and Nico smiled also.

"You have a brother?" Silena asked.

"Yup." She replied.

**Over his jeans and orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, he'd donned a toga and a purple cloak—symbols of his old rank as praetor. With his wind-ruffled blond hair and his icy blue eyes, he looked ruggedly handsome and in control—just like a son of Jupiter should.**

Percy growled slightly at this, and Thalia and Nico burst out laughing.

"Watch out, everyone. Percy-Wercy is jealous of wittle Jace." Nico said in a babyish voice that soon had everyone gasping for breath after laughing so hard.

**He'd grown up at Camp Jupiter, so hopefully his familiar face would make the Romans hesitant to blow the ship out of the sky.**

"Good, good." Chiron muttered. We jumped. We didn't even notice he had come in.

**Annabeth tried to hide it, but she still didn't completely trust the guy.**

Annabeth frowned at the last part.

**He acted too perfect—always following the rules, always doing the honorable thing.**

**He even looked too perfect.**

Percy rolled his eyes, but this didn't go unnoticed by me or Silena. I wondered why he was jealous, while Silena squealed a bit.

**In the back of her mind, she had a nagging thought: What if this is a trick and he betrays us?**

"He won't." Thalia said, defensively.

**What if we sail into Camp Jupiter, and he says, **_**Hey, Romans! Check out these prisoners and this cool ship I brought you!**_

"That would mean war," Clarisse said.

**Annabeth doubted that would happen. Still, she couldn't look at him without getting a bitter taste in her mouth. He'd been part of Hera's forced "exchange program" to introduce the two camps. Her Most Annoying Majesty, Queen of Olympus, had convinced the other gods that their two sets of children—Roman and Greek—had to combine forces to save the world from the evil goddess Gaea, who was awakening from the earth, and her horrible children the giants.**

"What!" We all shouted except for Percy, Thalia, and Nico.

Nico continued reading.

**Without warning, Hera had plucked up Percy Jackson,**

"Not the best time of my life." Percy muttered.

**Annabeth's boyfriend, **

Everyone's jaws dropped, except for Thalia and Nico's, while Percy was smiling lovingly like he was remembering something.

I felt jealous as I asked, "How does that happen? A child of Athena and a child of Poseidon dating?"

"Well, you see, Perce has saved the world numerous times. All of those times Annabeth was by his side. I'm told that their crushes on one another were obvious ever since they were twelve." Nico stated, smirking.

"Alright, alright. I think they get it. Long story short, we kissed under Mount St. Helens when we were fourteen, but we never got together until my sixteenth birthday, the day the Great Prophecy came true." Percy said, saving himself from some embarrassing moments being told. "Now, keep reading, Death Breath."

The Aphrodite cabin started giggling, and I felt extremely jealous. Annabeth was just sitting there processing this information, but getting over it quickly, and smiling at Percy.

"Alright then, you seem nice enough. Let's keep reading." She stated.

My jaw dropped. I was expecting her to tell him off, or something. Not this.

**wiped his memory, and sent him to the Roman camp. In exchange, the Greeks had gotten Jason. None of that was Jason's fault; but every time Annabeth saw him, she remembered how much she missed Percy.**

"Awww," The Aphrodite cabin cooed.

Percy was smiling brightly, and Nico and Thalia were smiling knowingly.

**Percy … who was somewhere below them right now.**

_**Oh, gods.**_** Panic welled up inside her.**

"So, I make you panic?" Percy asked, laughing.

"I think I'm just nervous about seeing you again." Annabeth said, smiling shyly.

I felt absolutely outraged. That was the smile she only used around me!

**She forced it down. She couldn't afford to get overwhelmed.**

_**I'm a child of Athena**_**, she told herself. **_**I have to stick to my plan and not get distracted.**_

"Because, we all know how distracting Fishy can get here." Thalia said, laughing.

"Shut up, Sparky," Percy grumbled.

"Make me, Kelp Head." She taunted.

"Pinecone Face,"

"Aqua Boy,"

"Idiot,"

"Dork,"

"Hunter Girl,"

"Children," Chiron said, interrupting them. He had an amused smile on his face, though.

**She felt it again—that familiar shiver, as if a psychotic snowman had crept up behind her and was breathing down her neck.**

"Noo! Annabeth's finally been affected by Percy and his weirdness!" Nico shouted dramatically, while everyone chuckled.

**She turned, but no one was there.**

**Must be her nerves. Even in a world of gods and monsters, Annabeth couldn't believe a new warship would be haunted. The Argo II was well protected. The Celestial bronze shields along the rail were enchanted to ward off monsters, and their onboard satyr, Coach Hedge, would have sniffed out any intruders.**

"Maybe, but not all of them," Malcolm warned her.

Annabeth nodded.

**Annabeth wished she could pray to her mother for guidance, but that wasn't possible now. Not after last month, when she'd had that horrible encounter with her mom and gotten the worst present of her life .…**

"What was the present?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "This is about 6 years in the future, so how should I know?"

**The cold pressed closer. She thought she heard a faint voice in the wind, laughing. Every muscle in her body tensed. Something was about to go terribly wrong.**

"Trust your senses," Clarisse warned Annabeth.

**She almost ordered Leo to reverse course. Then, in the valley below, horns sounded. The Romans had spotted them.**

**Annabeth thought she knew what to expect. Jason had described Camp Jupiter to her in great detail. Still, she had trouble believing her eyes. Ringed by the Oakland Hills, the valley was at least twice the size of Camp Half-Blood. A small river snaked around one side and curled toward the center like a capital letter G, emptying into a sparkling blue lake.**

**Directly below the ship, nestled at the edge of the lake, the city of New Rome gleamed in the sunlight. She recognized landmarks Jason had told her about—the hippodrome, the coliseum, the temples and parks, the neighborhood of Seven Hills with its winding streets, colorful villas, and flowering gardens.**

**She saw evidence of the Romans' recent battle with an army of monsters. The dome was cracked open on a building she guessed was the Senate House. The forum's broad plaza was pitted with craters. Some fountains and statues were in ruins.**

**Dozens of kids in togas were streaming out of the Senate House to get a better view of the Argo II. More Romans emerged from the shops and cafés, gawking and pointing as the ship descended.**

**About half a mile to the west, where the horns were blowing, a Roman fort stood on a hill. It looked just like the illustrations Annabeth had seen in military history books—with a defensive trench lined with spikes, high walls, and watchtowers armed with scorpion ballistae. Inside, perfect rows of white barracks lined the main road—the Via Principalis.**

**A column of demigods emerged from the gates, their armor and spears glinting as they hurried toward the city. In the midst of their ranks was an actual war elephant.**

**Annabeth wanted to land the Argo II before those troops arrived, but the ground was still several hundred feet below. She scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Percy.**

**Then something behind her went BOOM!**

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Connor and Travis screamed dramatically.

Annabeth and Percy shook their heads at the two.

**The explosion almost knocked her overboard. She whirled and found herself eye to eye with an angry statue.**

"Terminus," Annabeth and Percy said at the same time and then smiled at each other.

"**Unacceptable!" he shrieked.**

**Apparently he had exploded into existence, right there on the deck. Sulfurous yellow smoke rolled off his shoulders. Cinders popped around his curly hair. From the waist down, he was nothing but a square marble pedestal. From the waist up, he was a muscular human figure in a carved toga.**

"**I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line!" he announced in a fussy teacher voice. "I certainly will not have Greeks!"**

**Jason shot Annabeth a look that said, **_**I've got this.**_

"**Terminus," he said. "It's me. Jason Grace."**

"**Oh, I remember you, Jason!" Terminus grumbled. "I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!"**

"Jason's got this, everyone!" Percy shouted, waving his hands for emphasis.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"**But they're not enemies—"**

"**That's right," Piper jumped in. "We just want to talk. If we could—"**

"**Ha!" snapped the statue. "Don't try that charmspeak on me, young lady. And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!"**

**Piper glanced at her bronze dagger, which she'd apparently forgotten she was holding. "Um …okay. But how would you slap it? You don't have any arms."**

"Now Pipes is in for it," Nico grinned. "Terminus absolutely hates being reminded."

"Yeah, he'll get all offended and stuff." Percy laughed, "Poor Piper."

"**Impertinence!" There was a sharp POP and a flash of yellow. Piper yelped and dropped the dagger, which was now smoking and sparking.**

"**Lucky for you I've just been through a battle," Terminus announced. "If I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"**

"**Hold up." Leo stepped forward, wagging his Wii controller. "Did you just call my ship a monstrosity? I know you didn't do that."**

"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus at his best, everyone!" Thalia said, clapping her hands.

Annabeth laughed at Thalia's antics.

**The idea that Leo might attack the statue with his gaming device was enough to snap Annabeth out of her shock.**

"**Let's all calm down." She raised her hands to show she had no weapons. "I take it you're Terminus, the god of boundaries. Jason told me you protect the city of New Rome, right? I'm Annabeth Chase, **

"Soon to be, Jackson! Annabeth Jackson!" Thalia shouted, grinning.

Everyone gasped, while Percy and Nico were smiling.

"Y-y-you proposed?" Annabeth asked. She was blushing, and I felt another wave of jealousy crash onto me.

"Uh, yeah. About two months ago. We were walking on Montauk beach, and I professed all my feelings for you ever since the first day, explained how you were the only place I've ever called home, and asked you to marry me. You laughed and your exact words were, 'I've been waiting for you to ask, Seaweed Brain. Of course I will.' So, yeah." Percy finished blushing heavily by the end of his explanation.

There was silence when all of a sudden, "AWW," erupted from all around.

Silena was smiling, "You remembered every word she said that day. That's, like, so sweet. You make the perfect boyfriend, Percy."

Percy chuckled, "Thanks, Silena, you were actually one of the people that helped me sort out my feelings for her."

"You're welcome, and anytime." She laughed.

Annabeth was smiling brightly, "I'm glad my future-self chose you, Percy. You'd make a good boyfriend and husband."

Everyone except me and the Ares cabin cooed at her words. I was outraged. How could she love that good-for-nothing son of Poseidon? He's probably a cocky bastard, anyways, I thought bitterly.

**daughter of—"**

"**Oh, I know who you are!" The statue glared at her with its blank white eyes. "A child of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greeks have no sense of decency.**

"Hey!" Thalia, Nico, Percy, Annabeth, and the entire Athena cabin shouted.

"There's nothing scandalous about being a child of Athena!" Percy shouted, defending his girlfriend's parentage. The Athena cabin nodded, furiously.

**We Romans know the proper place for that goddess."**

Everyone glared at the direction of the book.

**Annabeth clenched her jaw. This statue wasn't making it easy to be diplomatic. "What exactly do you mean, that goddess? And what's so scandalous about—"**

"You tell 'em, Annie!" Travis shouted. Annabeth rolled her eyes at him.

"**Right!" Jason interrupted. "Anyway, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can—"**

"**Impossible!" the god squeaked. "Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately!"**

"**Which is it?" Leo asked. "Surrender, or leave?"**

"**Both!" Terminus said. "Surrender, then leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous boy! Do you feel that?"**

Percy, Thalia, Nico, Travis, Connor, and Chris were literally ROFL-ing.

"**Wow." Leo studied Terminus with professional interest. "You're wound up pretty tight. You got any gears in there that need loosening? I could take a look."**

**He exchanged the Wii controller for a screwdriver from his magic tool belt and tapped the statue's pedestal.**

The Hephaestus cabin grinned at their half-brother's actions.

"**Stop that!" Terminus insisted. Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line."**

"**The what?" Piper asked.**

"**City limits," Jason translated.**

"**And this entire ship is a weapon!" Terminus said. "You cannot land!"**

**Down in the valley, the legion reinforcements were halfway to the city. The crowd in the forum was over a hundred strong now. Annabeth scanned the faces and … oh, gods. She saw him. He was walking toward the ship with his arms around two other kids like they were best buddies—a stout boy with a black buzz cut, and a girl wearing a Roman cavalry helmet. **

"Frank and Hazel," Percy grinned, easily.

**Percy looked so at ease, so happy. He wore a purple cape just like Jason's—the mark of a praetor.**

**Annabeth's heart did a gymnastics routine.**

A chorus of 'aww' and 'they're so cute together!' and squeals broke out.

Stupid Percy Jackson, I thought, Annabeth is _mine,_ and mine only.

"**Leo, stop the ship," she ordered.**

"**What?"**

"**You heard me. Keep us right where we are."**

**Leo pulled out his controller and yanked it upward. All ninety oars froze in place. The ship stopped sinking.**

"**Terminus," Annabeth said, "there's no rule against hovering over New Rome, is there?"**

**The statue frowned. "Well, no …"**

"**We can keep the ship aloft," Annabeth said. "We'll use a rope ladder to reach the forum. That way, the ship won't be on Roman soil. Not technically."**

**The statue seemed to ponder this. Annabeth wondered if he was scratching his chin with imaginary hands.**

Everyone laughed at her thought.

"**I like technicalities," he admitted. "Still …"**

"**All our weapons will stay aboard the ship," Annabeth promised. "I assume the Romans—even those reinforcements marching toward us—will also have to honor your rules inside the Pomerian Line if you tell them to?"**

"**Of course!" Terminus said. "Do I look like I tolerate rule breakers?"**

"**Uh, Annabeth …" Leo said. "You sure this is a good idea?"**

"Not really." Annabeth said cheerfully.

**She closed her fists to keep them from shaking. That cold feeling was still there. It floated just behind her, and now that Terminus was no longer shouting and causing explosions, she thought she could hear the presence laughing, as if it was delighted by the bad choices she was making.**

**But Percy was down there … he was so close. She had to reach him.**

"Wise Girl," Percy sighed.

"**It'll be fine," she said. "No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules." She looked at the marble statue. "Do we have an agreement?"**

Malcolm and the rest of her cabin nodded in approval.

**Terminus sniffed. "I suppose. For now. You may climb down your ladder to New Rome, daughter of Athena. Please try not to destroy my town."**

"Because we all know Annabeth lives to destroy cities," I said sarcastically.

We all chuckled, and Nico asked who would like to read next. Katie Gardner volunteered, and she opened it up to the correct page, and read "**Annabeth II.**"

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**What'd ya think? Should I continue or not?**


	2. Annabeth II

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Annabeth II,"** Katie started to read, but a flash of light interrupted her. There, standing in the middle of the circle the half-bloods had formed were four figures. A girl who had stormy gray eyes and blond hair, another girl who had frizzy red hair and green eyes, another who had a nice tan, black hair and beard, and sea-green eyes, and a satyr who looked extremely worried.

The red-headed girl spoke first, "Where are we?"

Percy smiled when he got a look at the four visitors, "You've appeared to have traveled back in time."

The newcomers turned around. They recognized that voice.

The blond walked up to Percy, "Time travel?" She frowned, "What year is it?"

"It's 2007 here, Wise Girl." Percy said putting an arm around her shoulders, and pulling her close to him.

Thalia, Nico, and the man that looked exactly like Percy chuckled. The man spoke now, "Well, son. It's good to see you've been well, but it seems you are a bit older than I remember?"

"I'm eighteen, dad." Percy replied, smiling warmly at his dad.

The four newcomers gasped, except for Annabeth. "You've been missing that long?" The girl with red hair asked.

Percy shook his head, "No, only eight months, Rachel. We're reading a book about it. It's titled _The Mark of Athena,_" He explained.

The older Annabeth (Let's call her AS; Annabeth Senior) nodded, remembering some events that had happened on that quest.

"Well, let's read it!" The satyr bleated.

"Right. Continue, please, Katie." Thalia said.

Katie nodded and resumed reading,

**A sea of hastily assembled demigods parted for Annabeth as she walked through the forum.**

"That's cos' she's got the power!" Nico screamed, while playing an imaginary electric guitar.

Everyone else stared at him strangely, while Thalia joined him in playing imaginary drums. Percy shrugged, and doused his cousins with water.

"PERCY!" They shouted.

"Sorry, guys, but you're acting like idiots." Percy shrugged.

Thalia gave him a quick zap with lightning, while Nico glared at him.

Percy now had some of his hair singed, and his clothes had scorch marks on them. "Really, guys?" He complained.

"We're not idiots, if anything, you're the idiot." Thalia explained.

"That's true," said AS.

Nico high-fived her, "Good one, Annabeth!"

Said girl just smiled, while the younger version studied her.

**Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giants, but no one was armed. No one attacked.**

**Entire families had gathered to see the newcomers. Annabeth saw couples with babies, toddlers clinging to their parents' legs, even some elderly folks in a combination of Roman robes and modern clothes. Were all of them demigods?**

"Mhmm, welcome to the Roman side," Percy said.

"Wait, you know about the Roman camp?" Poseidon asked.

"Yep. That's where I was taken while I was missing." He replied.

**Annabeth suspected so, though she'd never seen a place like this. At Camp Half-Blood, most demigods were teens. If they survived long enough to graduate from high school, they either stayed on as counselors or left to start lives as best they could in the mortal world.**

**Here, it was an entire multigenerational community.**

**At the far end of the crowd, Annabeth spotted Tyson the Cyclops and Percy's hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary—who had been the first scouting party from Camp Half-Blood to reach Camp Jupiter. They looked to be in good spirits. Tyson waved and grinned. He was wearing an SPQR banner like a giant bib.**

"You own a hellhound?" Connor asked Percy.

"Yeah." Percy replied.

**Some part of Annabeth's mind registered how beautiful the city was—the smells from the bakeries, the gurgling fountains, the flowers blooming in the gardens. And the architecture …gods, the architecture—gilded marble columns, dazzling mosaics, monumental arches, and terraced villas.**

"The architecture …gods, the architecture!" Percy mimicked, grinning.

Thalia and Nico were laughing at the glare AS was sending towards Percy.

**In front of her, the demigods made way for a girl in full Roman armor and a purple cape. Dark hair tumbled across her shoulders. Her eyes were as black as obsidian.**

**Reyna.**

"Reyna is the Roman equivalent of Annabeth!" Thalia chirped, happily.

Annabeth was wondering what this meant.

Nobody noticed Luke seemed to be very quiet.

**Jason had described her well. Even without that, Annabeth would have singled her out as the leader. Medals decorated her armor. She carried herself with such confidence the other demigods backed away and averted their gaze.**

"See? I told you she was Annabeth in Roman form!" Thalia said.

"Nobody doubted you, Thalia." Luke said.

Everyone jumped. They had forgotten he was there, he was so quiet.

**Annabeth recognized something else in her face, too—in the hard set of her mouth and the deliberate way she raised her chin like she was ready to accept any challenge. Reyna was forcing a look of courage, while holding back a mixture of hopefulness and worry and fear that she couldn't show in public.**

**Annabeth knew that expression. She saw it every time she looked in a mirror.**

Percy frowned; his Wise Girl always had to be strong in public.

**The two girls considered each other. Annabeth's friends fanned out on either side. The Romans murmured Jason's name, staring at him in awe.**

**Then someone else appeared from the crowd, and Annabeth's vision tunneled.**

"And here comes Mr. Percy Jackson!" Grover announced.

Rachel shook her head at him, "How do you know it's him?" She asked.

"Only one person has that effect on Annie!" He exclaimed, smirking at AS.

AS glared at him, "Don't call me that, Goat Boy." Her voice was sharp, but there was a layer of amusement in it. "But you are correct." She finished smiling and leaning into Percy's arms.

**Percy smiled at her—that sarcastic, troublemaker smile that had annoyed her for years but eventually had become endearing.**

Poseidon smiled at the description of his son's smile. His was the same way.

**His sea-green eyes were as gorgeous as she remembered. His dark hair was swept to one side, like he'd just come from a walk on the beach. He looked even better than he had six months ago—tanner and taller, leaner and more muscular.**

"Noo, Annie, now you're just feeding his ego." Thalia whined.

AS rolled her eyes but smiled, "What ego? Last I remember he wouldn't allow himself to have an ego."

"True," Thalia said, just remembering that fact. "He's too humble."

Percy rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.

**Annabeth was too stunned to move. She felt that if she got any closer to him, all the molecules in her body might combust. She'd secretly had a crush on him since they were twelve years old.**

"I knew it!" Grover shouted, while AS was blushing. "But you didn't hide it very well."

Percy was smirking at AS.

AS rolled her eyes at him.

**Last summer, she'd fallen for him hard. **

"AWWW," The Aphrodite and Demeter cabins exclaimed.

Luke just glared at the ground.

"It took them five years to get together, though." Thalia snorted.

"Yeah." Nico agreed.

Percy and AS were blushing, but Annabeth was studying their behavior.

**They'd been a happy couple for four months—and then he'd disappeared.**

AS's face fell, thinking about it. Percy looked down at the ground. Nico and Thalia went to comfort them.

**During their separation, something had happened to Annabeth's feelings. They'd grown painfully intense—like she'd been forced to withdraw from a life-saving medication.**

AS nodded, confirming this, while Silena cooed. "That's so sweet." She gushed.

**Now she wasn't sure which was more excruciating—living with that horrible absence, or being with him again.**

**The praetor Reyna straightened. With apparent reluctance, she turned toward Jason.**

"**Jason Grace, my former colleague …" She spoke the word colleague like it was a dangerous thing. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends—"**

**Annabeth didn't mean to, but she surged forward. Percy rushed toward her at the same time. The crowd tensed. Some reached for swords that weren't there.**

"The greatest couple of all time are being reunited! Kill them!" Nico shouted dramatically, while Percy and AS cracked a smile at him.

Everyone chuckled at this except for Luke.

**Percy threw his arms around her. They kissed, and for a moment nothing else mattered. An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, and Annabeth wouldn't have cared.**

Percy and AS were smiling, remembering the memory.

Everyone except for Luke and the Ares cabin cooed at this.

**Percy smelled of ocean air. His lips were salty.**

Poseidon smiled at the blushing couple.

_**Seaweed Brain,**_** she thought giddily.**

"I was thinking the same thing, but it was 'Wise Girl' instead." Percy smiled.

Nico and Thalia were smiling knowingly at the couple.

Luke growled silently.

**Percy pulled away and studied her face. "Gods, I never thought—"**

**Annabeth grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder.**

Percy winced, remembering.

Everyone laughed at that.

"That's _so _Annabeth," Malcolm laughed. AS and Annabeth glared at him.

**He slammed into the stone pavement. Romans cried out. Some surged forward, but Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!"**

"I wonder why," Connor mused.

**Annabeth put her knee on Percy's chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat.**

"No need to be so violent, Annie." Nico teased. Annabeth and AS glared at the poor son of Hades.

**She didn't care what the Romans thought. A white-hot lump of anger expanded in her chest—a tumor of worry and bitterness that she'd been carrying around since last autumn.**

"**If you ever leave me again," she said, her eyes stinging, "I swear to all the gods—"**

"Oh my gods!" Silena screamed, "That is sooooo romantic!"

Percy nuzzled AS and whispered "I'm sorry," in her ear.

AS nodded and whispered back, "It wasn't your fault, Seaweed Brain."

**Percy had the nerve to laugh.**

**Suddenly the lump of heated emotions melted inside Annabeth.**

"**Consider me warned," Percy said. "I missed you, too."**

**Annabeth rose and helped him to his feet. She wanted to kiss him again so badly, but she managed to restrain herself.**

"Don't restrain!" Silena cried out.

AS and Percy smiled at her.

Luke muttered a curse in Ancient Greek, something like, "Stupid . . . Should be me . . . Best swordsman in 300 years,"

**Jason cleared his throat. "So, yeah. It's good to be back."**

**He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn't gotten to say the lines she'd been practicing, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign.**

Percy, Nico, Thalia, and AS chuckled at this.

"**And this is Annabeth," Jason said. "Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."**

AS laughed at this, "Normally."

**Reyna's eyes sparkled. "You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"**

"NO!" Most of the campers shouted.

"She is a full Greek, and it will stay that way!" Clarisse told the book.

Annabeth shook her head.

**Annabeth didn't know if that was a compliment, but she held out her hand. "I only attack my boyfriend like that," she promised. "Pleased to meet you."**

"You're so lucky, Perce, only you get this treatment." Travis said sarcastically.

**Reyna clasped her hand firmly. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!"**

**A few of the Roman campers hustled forward—apparently the senior officers. Two kids appeared at Percy's side, the same ones Annabeth had seen him chumming around with earlier. The burly Asian guy with the buzz cut was about fifteen. He was cute in a sort of oversized-cuddly-panda-bear way. The girl was younger, maybe thirteen, with amber eyes and chocolate skin and long curly hair. Her cavalry helmet was tucked under her arm.**

**Annabeth could tell from their body language that they felt close to Percy. They stood next to him protectively, like they'd already shared many adventures. She fought down a twinge of jealousy.**

"Why?" Percy asked AS.

"Well, it looked like you had forgotten about your adventures here at Camp." She explained.

"I would never forget about Camp." Percy told her.

She nodded, "I know that now, Seaweed Brain."

**Was it possible Percy and this girl**

"Really, you thought that?" Percy asked, taken back.

"It was foolish." AS explained.

… **no. The chemistry between the three of them wasn't like that. Annabeth had spent her whole life learning to read people. It was a survival skill. If she had to guess, she'd say the big Asian guy was the girl's boyfriend, though she suspected they hadn't been together long.**

"That's a good skill to have," Luke said, gruffly.

AS nodded, "Yes, it's an important one also, Luke." She gave him a quick smile.

This gave Luke hope, and he sat up straighter, he didn't notice that her smile was a sad one, though.

**There was one thing she didn't understand: what was the girl staring at? She kept frowning in Piper and Leo's direction, like she recognized one of them and the memory was painful.**

"It was…" Percy muttered.

**Meanwhile, Reyna was giving orders to her officers. "… tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And, Octavian—"**

"**You're letting these intruders into the camp?" A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward. "Reyna, the security risks—"**

"**We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian." Reyna flashed him a stern look. "We'll eat here, in the forum."**

"**Oh, much better," Octavian grumbled.**

"I hated Octavian." Nico said, making a face.

Thalia, Percy, and AS nodded in agreement.

**He seemed to be the only one who didn't defer to Reyna as his superior, despite the fact that he was scrawny and pale and for some reason had three teddy bears hanging from his belt. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."**

"**These are our guests." Reyna clipped off every word. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."**

"**Good idea," Percy put in. "Go burn your bears, Octavian."**

Everyone laughed at Percy's comment.

**Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile. "You have my orders. Go."**

**The officers dispersed. Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing. Then he gave Annabeth a suspicious once-over and stalked away.**

**Percy slipped his hand into Annabeth's. "Don't worry about Octavian," he said. "Most of the Romans are good people—like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna. We'll be fine."**

"Thanks for the encouragement," AS whispered in her boyfriend's ear. He just simply nodded.

**Annabeth felt as if someone had draped a cold washcloth across her neck. She heard that whispering laughter again, as if the presence had followed her from the ship.**

"Stupid presence," Annabeth commented.

**She looked up at the Argo II. Its massive bronze hull glittered in the sunlight. Part of her wanted to kidnap Percy right now, climb on board, and get out of here while they still could.**

**She couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. And there was no way she would ever risk losing Percy again.**

"Ditto." Percy smiled. He had missed her too much, and he still felt he hadn't made up for the lost time.

"**We'll be fine," she repeated, trying to believe it.**

"**Excellent," Reyna said. She turned to Jason, and Annabeth thought there was a hungry sort of gleam in her eyes. "Let's talk, and we can have a proper reunion."**

"And that's the end. Who wants to read next?" Katie asked.

"I will, Katie," Thalia said, taking the book.

"Wait, demigods," Poseidon said, "let's eat first. We wouldn't want to get hungry while reading, would we?"

"Good point, dad." Percy said, he stood up with AS's hand in his, "Let's get going." All the demigods nodded and went to the dining pavilion to eat lunch.

**So there's the next chapter. Thanks for your reviews. :D**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	3. Annabeth III

**3**_**rd**__** Person POV**_

After the demigods ate, they sat back down to read the next chapter of the book.

"**Annabeth III," **Thalia read,

**Annabeth wished she had an appetite, because the Romans knew how to eat.**

Nico, Thalia, and Percy nodded in agreement.

**Sets of couches and low tables were carted into the forum until it resembled a furniture showroom. Romans lounged in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while wind spirits—aurae—swirled overhead, bringing an endless assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh-baked cookies.**

"I'm hungry," Connor whined.

"You just ate, Connor," Poseidon told him.

"I know, but still!" Was his reply.

**Drifting through the crowd were purple ghosts—Lares—in togas and legionnaire armor. Around the edges of the feast, satyrs (no, fauns, Annabeth thought) trotted from table to table, panhandling for food and spare change. In the nearby fields, the war elephant frolicked with Mrs. O'Leary,**

Everyone chuckled at the image.

**and children played tag around the statues of Terminus that lined the city limits.**

**The whole scene was so familiar yet so completely alien that it gave Annabeth vertigo.**

**All she wanted to do was be with Percy—preferably alone.**

Suddenly, Travis and Connor started coughing madly at this.

"Alone? What did you wanna do alone?" Grover asked, teasing the couple. Thalia and Nico were smirking at them.

Percy and AS looked horrified, as they realized what he was implying.

"You all are sick, perverted, bastards." AS muttered.

Unknown to the couple, Luke looked relieved.

**She knew she would have to wait. If their quest was going to succeed, they needed these Romans, which meant getting to know them and building some goodwill.**

**Reyna and a few of her officers (including the blond kid Octavian, freshly back from burning a teddy bear for the gods) sat with Annabeth and her crew. Percy joined them with his two new friends, Frank and Hazel.**

**As a tornado of food platters settled onto the table, Percy leaned over and whispered, "I want to show you around New Rome. Just you and me. The place is incredible."**

**Annabeth should've felt thrilled. Just you and me was exactly what she wanted.**

This time, Thalia and Nico were the ones to cough**.**

**Instead, resentment swelled in her throat. How could Percy talk so enthusiastically about this place? What about Camp Half-Blood—their camp, their home?**

"Yeah, Percy, what about us?" Luke said, challengingly, "Did you just forget about us? Because, I'm sure if you did, you don't deserve to be a leader."

Percy sighed, while Nico, Thalia, and Poseidon glared at Luke. AS was holding Percy's hand and comforting him. All of a sudden, the air got cold.

"You have no idea what my son has been through, Luke Castellan." Poseidon said quietly.

"He has done a lot more things than you could ever do." Thalia said, her words biting and sharp.

"Oh, really? Like what?" Luke sneered.

Percy looked up, "Thalia, please. Don't."

Thalia shook her head, her jaw set, "He should know all that you have done, Perce. He should know of the sacrifices you have made."

AS looked at Thalia, and spoke quietly, "Thals, you know he doesn't like to be reminded of it."

Thalia's expression softened, "I'm sorry, Perce. I just got fed up with Luke."

Percy nodded, "Its fine, thank you for sticking up for me, cuz."

Thalia cracked a smile, "Anytime."

Luke was watching this with hatred burning through his veins.

**She tried not to stare at the new marks on Percy's forearm—an SPQR tattoo like Jason's. At Camp Half-Blood, demigods got bead necklaces to commemorate years of training. Here, the Romans burned a tattoo into your flesh, as if to say: **_**You belong to us. Permanently.**_

"NO! Percy is a Greek, not a Roman!" Travis said.

"Yeah, who do they think they are?" Clarisse shouted, angrily.

At this, Luke stood up swallowing his hatred. He had to calm his camp down, after all.

"Campers, calm down." He said, but his words had no effect. The campers continued to bicker and shout about stupid Romans.

Finally, Percy stood up. "Camp Half-Blood, please return to your seats." The campers did as he said. Percy nodded and motioned for Thalia to read.

Luke was livid; Percy Jackson had just controlled his campers. Luke couldn't wait to see the day Percy Jackson dies; _maybe I should listen to that voice in my dreams. It could help me bring down Jackson._ He thought.

**She swallowed back some biting comments. "Okay. Sure."**

"**I've been thinking," he said nervously. "I had this idea—"**

**He stopped as Reyna called a toast to friendship.**

**After introductions all around, the Romans and Annabeth's crew began exchanging stories. Jason explained how he'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood without his memory, and how he'd gone on a quest with Piper and Leo to rescue the goddess Hera (or Juno, take your pick—she was equally annoying in Greek or Roman)**

Poseidon laughed at this, "Your words are true, my soon-to-be-daughter-in-law," He smiled at AS.

AS couldn't help but smile back at her soon-to-be-father-in-law.

**from imprisonment at the Wolf House in northern California.**

"**Impossible!" Octavian broke in. "That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there—"**

"**They would've destroyed her," Piper said. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish."**

**Octavian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Annabeth really loved Piper's charmspeak.**

"What would we do without Pipes?" Percy said, smiling.

Nico shrugged and said, "I dunno, man." In a British accent that made Annabeth look at him strangely.

"Are you sure you're a son of Hades? You're too funny." She complimented.

Nico bowed, "Why thank you, all Mighty and Wise One."

Annabeth shook her head at him and went back to her seat.

**She noticed Reyna looking back and forth between Jason and Piper, her brow creased, as if just beginning to realize the two of them were a couple.**

"**So," Jason continued, "that's how we found out about the earth goddess Gaea. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the big leader dude we fought at the Wolf House: he said he was retreating to the ancient lands—Greece itself. He plans on awakening Gaea and destroying the gods by … what did he call it? Pulling up their roots."**

**Percy nodded thoughtfully. "Gaea's been busy over here, too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face."**

"Epic name, Perce." AS grinned. Everyone looked at her, shocked.

"Did you just use the word 'epic'?" Rachel asked, amused.

AS smirked, "Why, yes, I believe I did."

Percy grinned and pulled her into a huge hug, "YES! I finally got Wise Girl to use modern language!" He exclaimed.

AS laughed, "Cool, you did, but you're sort of making it hard to breathe."

Percy released her, "Uhh, sorry," He said and smiled sheepishly.

AS gave him a quick peck on the lips and laughed, "It's okay, Perce."

**Percy recounted his side of the story. He talked about waking up at the Wolf House with no memories except for one name—Annabeth.**

"OHMIGODS!" The Aphrodite cabin squealed.

Percy and AS smiled, but were blushing fiercely.

Everyone else, but Luke and the Ares cabin, looked at the couple and smiled at how perfect they looked together.

**When she heard that, Annabeth had to try hard not to cry.**

"I can understand why you wanted to cry, I mean, that's pretty deep." Clarisse admitted.

Everyone looked at her with horrified faces.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Clarisse!?" Connor and Travis screamed.

Clarisse rolled her eyes, "Think about it, wouldn't you want to cry if it happened to you?"

Everyone thought about it, and saw where Clarisse was coming from.

**Percy told them how he'd traveled to Alaska with Frank and Hazel—how they'd defeated the giant Alcyoneus, freed the death god Thanatos, and returned with the lost golden eagle standard of the Roman camp to repel an attack by the giants' army.**

**When Percy had finished, Jason whistled appreciatively. "No wonder they made you praetor."**

**Octavian snorted. "Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"**

"**On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up."**

"OOOOOOH! BURNNNN!" said the Stolls, Will, and Chris.

**Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump.**

**Even Reyna managed a smile, though her eyes were stormy.**

"**We'll have to figure out the extra praetor problem later," she said. "Right now we have more serious issues to deal with."**

"**I'll step aside for Jason," Percy said easily. "It's no biggie."**

"**No biggie?" Octavian choked. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"**

"I think that's what he just said!" Will exclaimed in a 'duh!' voice.

**Percy ignored him and turned to Jason. "You're Thalia Grace's brother, huh? Wow. You guys look nothing alike."**

"No, really? I had no idea!" Luke said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"You didn't? I thought it was pretty obvious." Connor said, innocently. He knew it was sarcasm, but Luke was starting to get on his nerves.

Luke sneered at his half-brother, but didn't comment.

"**Yeah, I noticed," Jason said. "Anyway, thanks for helping my camp while I was gone. You did an awesome job."**

"Percy always does an awesome job!" Grover bragged.

"**Back at you," Percy said.**

**Annabeth kicked his shin. She hated to interrupt a budding bromance, but Reyna was right: they had serious things to discuss. "We should talk about the Great Prophecy. It sounds like the Romans are aware of it too?"**

**Reyna nodded. "We call it the Prophecy of Seven. Octavian, you have it committed to memory?"**

"**Of course," he said. "But, Reyna—"**

"**Recite it, please. In English, not Latin."**

**Octavian sighed. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—"**

"**An oath to keep with a final breath," Annabeth continued. "And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."**

"And there she goes, Annabeth Chase, everybody!" Rachel said while clapping her hands. Everyone else joined in. Annabeth and AS rolled their eyes at everyone's antics.

**Everyone stared at her—except for Leo, who had constructed a pinwheel out of aluminum foil taco wrappers and was sticking it into passing wind spirits.**

**Annabeth wasn't sure why she had blurted out the lines of the prophecy. She'd just felt compelled.**

"Maybe it was the ADHD." Poseidon said helpfully.

"Could be." AS shrugged.

**The big kid, Frank, sat forward, staring at her in fascination, as if she'd grown a third eye.**

Percy snickered at this, while AS elbowed him in the ribs.

"**Is it true you're a child of Min—I mean, Athena?"**

"Why is that such a problem?" Annabeth questioned.

"**Yes," she said, suddenly feeling defensive. "Why is that such a surprise?"**

**Octavian scoffed. "If you're truly a child of the wisdom goddess—"**

"**Enough," Reyna snapped. "Annabeth is what she says. She's here in peace. Besides …" She gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect. "Percy has spoken highly of you."**

**The undertones in Reyna's voice took Annabeth a moment to decipher. Percy looked down, suddenly interested in his cheeseburger.**

**Annabeth's face felt hot. Oh, gods … Reyna had tried to make a move on Percy.**

"Oh, no, she didn't! That bitch!" Silena screamed.

The Aphrodite cabin was fuming.

**That explained the tinge of bitterness, maybe even envy, in her words. Percy had turned her down for Annabeth.**

At this, they all stopped, and cooed at Percabeth.

**At that moment, Annabeth forgave her ridiculous boyfriend for everything he'd ever done wrong.**

"True love," Silena sighed dreamily.

**She wanted to throw her arms around him, but she commanded herself to stay cool.**

"**Uh, thanks," she told Reyna. "At any rate, some of the prophecy is becoming clear. Foes bearing arms to the Doors of Death … that means Romans and Greeks. We have to combine forces to find those doors."**

**Hazel, the girl with the cavalry helmet and the long curly hair, picked up something next to her plate. It looked like a large ruby; but before Annabeth could be sure, Hazel slipped it into the pocket of her denim shirt.**

"**My brother, Nico, went looking for the doors," she said.**

"**Wait," Annabeth said. "Nico di Angelo? He's your brother?"**

"Yep." Nico said.

"Another child of the Big Three?" Annabeth asked.

"Mhmm." Percy replied.

**Hazel nodded as if this were obvious. A dozen more questions crowded into Annabeth's head, but it was already spinning like Leo's pinwheel. She decided to let the matter go. "Okay. You were saying?"**

"**He disappeared." Hazel moistened her lips. "I'm afraid … I'm not sure, but I think something's happened to him."**

"**We'll look for him," Percy promised. "We have to find the Doors of Death anyway. Thanatos told us we'd find both answers in Rome—like, the original Rome. That's on the way to Greece, right?"**

"**Thanatos told you this?" Annabeth tried to wrap her mind around that idea. "The death god?"**

"Yuppers, sounds about right." Percy confirmed.

**She'd met many gods. She'd even been to the Underworld; **

"I have?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes, you have. It was on your first quest. Percy and Grover were there, also." AS explained.

**but Percy's story about freeing the incarnation of death itself really creeped her out.**

"It was pretty creepy," Percy said.

**Percy took a bite of his burger. "Now that Death is free, monsters will disintegrate and return to Tartarus again like they used to. But as long as the Doors of Death are open, they'll just keep coming back."**

**Piper twisted the feather in her hair. "Like water leaking through a dam," she suggested.**

"**Yeah." Percy smiled. "We've got a dam hole."**

Thalia, Percy, and Grover bust out laughing.

"You remembered!" Thalia exclaimed running up to hug Percy.

"That was one of my best memories. How could I have forgotten?" Percy laughed hugging her back.

"I dunno, but keep calm and find the dam snack bar." Grover said casually.

That set them laughing once again.

Everyone just sat there, confused.

"Inside joke," Percy laughed out.

"**What?" Piper asked.**

"**Nothing," he said. "Inside joke. The point is we'll have to find the doors and close them before we can head to Greece. It's the only way we'll stand a chance of defeating the giants and making sure they stay defeated."**

**Reyna plucked an apple from a passing fruit tray. She turned it in her fingers, studying the dark red surface. "You propose an expedition to Greece in your warship. You do realize that the ancient lands—and the Mare Nostrum—are dangerous?"**

"But, fortunately, Percy loves danger! He'll be fine!" Rachel said happily.

Percy stuck his tongue out at her.

"**Mary who?" Leo asked.**

"**Mare Nostrum," Jason explained. "Our Sea. It's what the Ancient Romans called the Mediterranean."**

**Reyna nodded. "The territory that was once the Roman Empire is not only the birthplace of the gods.**

"Greece is the birthplace of the gods." Clarisse said, angrily. "Ρωμαίοι αισθάνθηκαν την ανάγκη να μάθουν να δείξει λίγο σεβασμό." (Romans need to learn to show some respect)

"Clarisse," Percy warned.

**It's also the ancestral home of the monsters, Titans and giants … and worse things. As dangerous as travel is for demigods here in America, there it would be ten times worse."**

"**You said Alaska would be bad," Percy reminded her. "We survived that."**

**Reyna shook her head. Her fingernails cut little crescents into the apple as she turned it. "Percy, traveling in the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether. It's been off limits to Roman demigods for centuries. No hero in his right mind would go there."**

"Then you're good!" Nico exclaimed.

"**Then we're good!" Leo grinned over the top of his pinwheel.**

"I think like Repair Boy!" Nico shouted, "What has the world come to?!"

Poseidon laughed, "Nephew, have you had any sugar lately?"

Nico thought for a moment, "I don't think so, Uncle P."

Poseidon laughed even harder.

"**Because we're all crazy, right? Besides, the Argo II is a top-of-the-line warship. She'll get us through."**

"**We'll have to hurry," Jason added. "I don't know exactly what the giants are planning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She's invading dreams, appearing in weird places, summoning more and more powerful monsters. We have to stop the giants before they can wake her up fully."**

**Annabeth shuddered. She'd had her own share of nightmares lately.**

Percy pulled his girlfriend closer.

"**Seven half-bloods must answer the call," she said. "It needs to be a mix from both our camps. Jason, Piper, Leo, and me. That's four."**

"**And me," Percy said. "Along with Hazel and Frank. That's seven."**

"**What?" Octavian shot to his feet. "We're just supposed to accept that? Without a vote in the senate? Without a proper debate? Without—"**

"**Percy!"**

"Yes, yes, without Percy!" An Ares camper exclaimed, jokingly.

**Tyson the Cyclops bounded toward them with Mrs. O'Leary at his heels. On the hellhound's back sat the skinniest harpy Annabeth had ever seen—a sickly-looking girl with stringy red hair, a sackcloth dress, and red-feathered wings.**

**Annabeth didn't know where the harpy had come from, but her heart warmed to see Tyson in his tattered flannel and denim with the backward SPQR banner across his chest. She'd had some pretty bad experiences with Cyclopes, but Tyson was a sweetheart. He was also Percy's half-brother (long story), which made him almost like family.**

"He'll soon be family," AS grinned, playing with the ring around her finger.

**Tyson stopped by their couch and wrung his meaty hands. His big brown eye was full of concern. "Ella is scared," he said.**

"**N-n-no more boats," the harpy muttered to herself, picking furiously at her feathers. "Titanic, Lusitania, Pax … boats are not for harpies."**

**Leo squinted. He looked at Hazel, who was seated next to him. "Did that chicken girl just compare my ship to the Titanic?"**

"**She's not a chicken." Hazel averted her eyes, as if Leo made her nervous. "Ella's a harpy. She's just a little … high-strung."**

"**Ella is pretty," Tyson said.**

"Awww," The Aphrodite cabin cooed.

**"And scared. We need to take her away, but she will not go on the ship."**

"**No ships," Ella repeated. She looked straight at Annabeth. "Bad luck. There she is. **_**Wisdom's daughter walks alone—"**_

"**Ella!" Frank stood suddenly. "Maybe it's not the best time—"**

_"__**The Mark of Athena burns through Rome," **_**Ella continued, cupping her hands over her ears and raising her voice. **_**"Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail."**_

AS sighed, the prophecy still made her uneasy.

Annabeth looked down, "I have to take on that quest, don't I?"

AS nodded.

**The effect was like someone dropping a flash grenade on the table. Everyone stared at the harpy. No one spoke. Annabeth's heart was pounding. The Mark of Athena … She resisted the urge to check her pocket, but she could feel the silver coin growing warmer—the cursed gift from her mother. **_**Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me.**_

Malcolm gasped, he had realized what it meant. He saw AS looking at him and her slight nod that confirmed his suspicions.

Poseidon looked at Annabeth and AS with sympathy.

**Around them, the sounds of the feast continued, but muted and distant, as if their little cluster of couches had slipped into a quieter dimension.**

**Percy was the first to recover. He stood and took Tyson's arm.**

"**I know!" he said with feigned enthusiasm. "How about you take Ella to get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary—"**

"**Hold on." Octavian gripped one of his teddy bears, strangling it with shaking hands. His eyes fixed on Ella. "What was that she said? It sounded like—"**

"**Ella reads a lot," Frank blurted out. "We found her at a library."**

"**Yes!" Hazel said. "Probably just something she read in a book."**

"Quick thinking." Annabeth muttered.

"**Books," Ella muttered helpfully. "Ella likes books."**

**Now that she'd said her piece, the harpy seemed more relaxed. She sat cross-legged on Mrs. O'Leary's back, preening her wings.**

**Annabeth gave Percy a curious glance. Obviously, he and Frank and Hazel were hiding something. Just as obviously, Ella had recited a prophecy—a prophecy that concerned her.**

**Percy's expression said, Help.**

"Aww, he trusts you to help him," Silena gushed.

"**That was a prophecy," Octavian insisted. "It sounded like a prophecy."**

**No one answered.**

**Annabeth wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but she understood that Percy was on the verge of big trouble.**

**She forced a laugh. "Really, Octavian? Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?"**

"Nice." Will complimented.

**Her words had the intended effect. The Roman officers laughed nervously. Some sized up Ella, then looked at Octavian and snorted. The idea of a chicken lady issuing prophecies was apparently just as ridiculous to Romans as it was to Greeks.**

"**I, uh…" Octavian dropped his teddy bear. "No, but—"**

"**She's just spouting lines from some book," Annabeth said, "like Hazel suggested. Besides, we already have a real prophecy to worry about."**

The Stolls gave AS thumbs up.

**She turned to Tyson. "Percy's right. Why don't you take Ella and Mrs. O'Leary and shadow-travel somewhere for a while. Is Ella okay with that?"**

"'**Large dogs are good,'" Ella said. "Old Yeller, 1957, screenplay by Fred Gipson and William Tunberg."**

**Annabeth wasn't sure how to take that answer, but Percy smiled like the problem was solved.**

Everyone laughed at that.

"**Great!" Percy said. "We'll Iris-message you guys when we're done and catch up with you later."**

**The Romans looked at Reyna, waiting for her ruling. Annabeth held her breath.**

**Reyna had an excellent poker face. She studied Ella, but Annabeth couldn't guess what she was thinking.**

"**Fine," the praetor said at last. "Go."**

"**Yay!" Tyson went around the couches and gave everyone a big hug—even Octavian, who didn't look happy about it.**

"Go Tyson!" Travis cheered.

**Then he climbed on Mrs. O'Leary's back with Ella, and the hellhound bounded out of the forum. They dove straight into a shadow on the Senate House wall and disappeared.**

"**Well." Reyna set down her uneaten apple. "Octavian is right about one thing. We must gain the senate's approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest—especially one as dangerous as you're suggesting."**

"**This whole thing smells of treachery," Octavian grumbled. "That trireme is not a ship of peace!"**

"No, duh." Connor said, "Octavian is an idiot."

Everyone chuckled in agreement.

"**Come aboard, man," Leo offered. "I'll give you a tour. You can steer the boat, and if you're really good I'll give you a little paper captain's hat to wear."**

The Hephaestus cabin cheered for their brother.

**Octavian's nostrils flared. "How dare you—"**

"**It's a good idea," Reyna said. "Octavian, go with him. See the ship. We'll convene a senate meeting in one hour."**

"**But …" Octavian stopped. Apparently he could tell from Reyna's expression that further arguing would not be good for his health. "Fine."**

**Leo got up. He turned to Annabeth, and his smile changed. It happened so quickly, Annabeth thought she'd imagined it; but just for a moment someone else seemed to be standing in Leo's place, smiling coldly with a cruel light in his eyes. Then Annabeth blinked, and Leo was just regular old Leo again, with his usual impish grin.**

"What was that?" Katie wondered.

"**Back soon," he promised. "This is gonna be epic."**

"Epic!" The Stolls shouted.

**A horrible chill settled over her.**

Annabeth frowned.

**As Leo and Octavian headed for the rope ladder, she thought about calling them back—but how could she explain that? Tell everyone she was going crazy, seeing things and feeling cold?**

**The wind spirits began clearing the plates.**

"**Uh, Reyna," Jason said, "if you don't mind, I'd like to show Piper around before the senate meeting. She's never seen New Rome."**

Thalia hung her head, "Jason, Jason, Jason,"

**Reyna's expression hardened.**

**Annabeth wondered how Jason could be so dense. **

"You're still wondering after five years of Perce's density?" Nico asked.

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Thalia told him. They high-fived.

**Was it possible he really didn't understand how much Reyna liked him? It was obvious enough to Annabeth. Asking to show his new girlfriend around Reyna's city was rubbing salt in a wound.**

"**Of course," Reyna said coldly.**

**Percy took Annabeth's hand. "Yeah, me, too. I'd like to show Annabeth—"**

"**No," Reyna snapped.**

"Why not?" Connor asked.

"They haven't seen each other in eight months!" Silena argued, "they deserve to spend some time together!"

**Percy knit his eyebrows. "Sorry?"**

"**I'd like a few words with Annabeth," Reyna said. "Alone. If you don't mind, my fellow praetor."**

**Her tone made it clear she wasn't really asking permission.**

**The chill spread down Annabeth's back. She wondered what Reyna was up to. Maybe the praetor didn't like the idea of two guys who had rejected her giving their girlfriends tours of her city. Or maybe there was something she wanted to say in private. Either way, Annabeth was reluctant to be alone and unarmed with the Roman leader.**

"**Come, daughter of Athena." Reyna rose from her couch. "Walk with me."**

"That's it." Thalia declared.

"I'll read," Poseidon said.

Thalia handed the book over to him.

* * *

**There's the next chappie for ya. :D**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	4. Annabeth IV

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Annabeth IV," **Poseidon read.

**Annabeth wanted to hate New Rome. But as an aspiring architect, she couldn't help admiring the terraced gardens, the fountains and temples, the winding cobblestone streets and gleaming white villas.**

"That's Wise Girl for ya," Percy laughed. AS glared at him and scooted to the other side of the couch.

Percy's eyes widened, "I was just kidding, Wise Girl, I'm sorry,"

AS decided to keep playing this game and ignored him, pretending to be mad at him. Percy sighed, thinking that she was actually mad at him, and started thinking of ways to apologize to her.

**After the Titan War last summer, she'd gotten her dream job of redesigning the palaces of Mount Olympus. Now, walking through this miniature city, she kept thinking, I should have made a dome like that. I love the way those columns lead into that courtyard. Whoever designed New Rome had clearly poured a lot of time and love into the project.**

"Titan War?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, the second Titan War happened back in 2011," Percy explained, distracted.

The demigods who hadn't fought in the war eyes' widened.

"**We have the best architects and builders in the world," Reyna said, as if reading her thoughts. "Rome always did, in the ancient times. Many demigods stay on to live here after their time in the legion. They go to our university. They settle down to raise families. Percy seemed interested in this fact."**

The whole clearing, except for the people who you should know by now, cooed.

"You were thinking about settling down with Annabeth!" screamed Silena.

Percy and Annabeth blushed, while AS was still ignoring Percy, but on the inside she was squealing like a little school girl.

When Luke saw that AS didn't have a reaction to Silena's comment, he scooted closer to her.

**Annabeth wondered what that meant. She must have scowled more fiercely than she realized, because Reyna laughed.**

"**You're a warrior, all right," the praetor said. "You've got fire in your eyes."**

"Hey, how do you get fire in your eyes?" Chris asked all too innocently.

"**Sorry." Annabeth tried to tone down the glare.**

"Most likely didn't work," Percy laughed.

AS shot him a glare, once again.

"**Don't be. I'm the daughter of Bellona."**

"**Roman goddess of war?"**

**Reyna nodded. She turned and whistled like she was hailing a cab. A moment later, two metal dogs raced toward them—automaton greyhounds, one silver and one gold. They brushed against Reyna's legs and regarded Annabeth with glistening ruby eyes.**

"**My pets," Reyna explained. "Aurum and Argentum. You don't mind if they walk with us?"**

"Not really a question. . ." Poseidon mumbled.

**Again, Annabeth got the feeling it wasn't really a request. She noted that the greyhounds had teeth like steel arrowheads. Maybe weapons weren't allowed inside the city, but Reyna's pets could still tear her to pieces if they chose.**

**Reyna led her to an outdoor café, where the waiter clearly knew her. He smiled and handed her a to-go cup, then offered one to Annabeth.**

"**Would you like some?" Reyna asked. "They make wonderful hot chocolate. Not really a Roman drink—"**

"**But chocolate is universal," Annabeth said.**

"**Exactly."**

"And there you go, being all smart and stuff." Luke commented.

AS rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. This didn't go unnoticed by Percy. He growled slightly. Luke heard this and smirked at the son of Poseidon.

**It was a warm June afternoon, but Annabeth accepted the cup with thanks. The two of them walked on, Reyna's gold and silver dogs roaming nearby.**

"**In our camp," Reyna said, "Athena is Minerva. Are you familiar with how her Roman form is different?"**

**Annabeth hadn't really considered it before. She remembered the way Terminus had called Athena that goddess, as if she were scandalous. Octavian had acted like Annabeth's very existence was an insult.**

"Hey," Annabeth said warningly.

"**I take it Minerva isn't … uh, quite as respected here?"**

"Unfortunately," Percy sighed.

**Reyna blew steam from her cup. "We respect Minerva. She's the goddess of crafts and wisdom …but she isn't really a goddess of war. Not for Romans. She's also a maiden goddess, like Diana …the one you call Artemis. You won't find any children of Minerva here. The idea that Minerva would have children—frankly, it's a little shocking to us."**

"It's scandalous!" Chris cried out.

"Shut it, Chris," Annabeth growled.

Chris smiled teasingly at her.

"**Oh." Annabeth felt her face flush. She didn't want to get into the details of Athena's children—how they were born straight from the mind of the goddess, just as Athena herself had sprung from the head of Zeus.**

All the Athena children groaned at this.

**Talking about that always made Annabeth feel self-conscious, like she was some sort of freak. People usually asked her whether or not she had a belly button, since she had been born magically.**

Athena's children glared at everyone there, silently daring them to ask the question.

**Of course she had a belly button. She couldn't explain how. She didn't really want to know.**

"That's a first," Percy smirked.

"I know, right." Thalia agreed.

"Like, this should be recorded in a book, somewhere." Nico grinned.

"Dad?" Percy asked, "Can you make a book and pen magically appear?"

Poseidon fulfilled his son's wish, and Thalia wrote it down.

"There! Thanks, Uncle Poseidon!" Thalia said enthusiastically.

Poseidon grinned at her, while Annabeth and AS shook their heads at the group's antics.

"**I understand that you Greeks don't see things the same way," Reyna continued. "But Romans take vows of maidenhood very seriously. The Vestal Virgins, for instance … if they broke their vows and fell in love with anyone, they would be buried alive. So the idea that a maiden goddess would have children—"**

"She would get buried alive!" Luke exclaimed, cheerfully.

"And that's an exciting thing, because?" Annabeth asked.

"Um, I- it- never mind." Luke said quickly.

Percy silently cheered on his girlfriend's younger self.

"**Got it." Annabeth's hot chocolate suddenly tasted like dust. No wonder the Romans had been giving her strange looks.**

"**I'm not supposed to exist. And even if your camp had children of Minerva—"**

"I'm pretty sure you're supposed to exist," Nico stated.

"Yeah, I mean, if you didn't exist, I would be dead right now." Percy finished.

AS laughed, "There hasn't been a truer statement than that."

Thalia, Grover, Nico, and Rachel nodded in agreement.

"**They wouldn't be like you," Reyna said. "They might be craftsmen, artists, maybe advisers, but not warriors. Not leaders of dangerous quests."**

**Annabeth started to object that she wasn't the leader of the quest. Not officially. But she wondered if her friends on the Argo II would agree. The past few days, they had been looking to her for orders—even Jason, who could have pulled rank as the son of Jupiter, and Coach Hedge, who didn't take orders from anyone.**

"She's definitely one of the leaders." Luke stated.

Everyone nodded, as if that were obvious.

"**There's more." Reyna snapped her fingers, and her golden dog, Aurum, trotted over. The praetor stroked his ears. "The harpy Ella … it was a prophecy she spoke. We both know that, don't we?"**

**Annabeth swallowed. Something about Aurum's ruby eyes made her uneasy. She had heard that dogs could smell fear, even detect changes in a human's breathing and heartbeat. She didn't know if that applied to magical metal dogs, but she decided it would be better to tell the truth.**

"Definitely applies to metal dogs," Poseidon said.

"**It sounded like a prophecy," she admitted. "But I've never met Ella before today, and I've never heard those lines exactly."**

"**I have," Reyna murmured. "At least some of them—"**

**A few yards away, the silver dog barked. A group of children spilled out of a nearby alleyway and gathered around Argentum, petting the dog and laughing, unfazed by its razor-sharp teeth.**

"**We should move on," Reyna said.**

**They wound their way up the hill. The greyhounds followed, leaving the children behind. Annabeth kept glancing at Reyna's face. A vague memory started tugging at her—the way Reyna brushed her hair behind her ear, the silver ring she wore with the torch and sword design.**

"You've met her before?" Annabeth asked her older self.

AS nodded, "Your second quest with Percy," She explained.

"Oh," Was her response.

"**We've met before," Annabeth ventured. "You were younger, I think."**

**Reyna gave her a dry smile. "Very good. Percy didn't remember me.**

"Losing your memories does that to a person," Rachel shrugged.

**Of course you spoke mostly with my older sister Hylla, who is now queen of the Amazons. She left just this morning, before you arrived. At any rate, when we last met, I was a mere handmaiden in the house of Circe."**

Will's eyes widened a considerable amount, "Circe?" He managed to squeak out.

"Yep," Percy and AS said at the same time.

"**Circe …" Annabeth remembered her trip to the island of the sorceress. She'd been thirteen. **

"So, in about two years." Clarisse noted.

**Percy and she had washed ashore from the Sea of Monsters. **

"The Sea of Monsters," Annabeth muttered, "great, just great."

"It only serves to get worst after that!" Percy chirps, in fake cheerfulness.

"How so?" Malcolm asked.

"We'll tell you later," AS said dismissively.

**Hylla had welcomed them. She had helped Annabeth get cleaned up and given her a beautiful new dress and a complete makeover. Then Circe had made her sales pitch: if Annabeth stayed on the island, she could have magical training and incredible power. Annabeth had been tempted, maybe just a little, until she realized the place was a trap, and Percy had been turned into a rodent. (That last part seemed funny afterward; but at the time, it had been terrifying.)**

Everyone burst into laughter, while Percy scowled at the ground.

"If only I had been there to see it," Grover managed to get out in between gasps.

**As for Reyna … she'd been one of the servants who had combed Annabeth's hair.**

"**You …" Annabeth said in amazement. "And Hylla is queen of the Amazons? How did you two—?"**

"This is possibly the first time Annie's been speechless!" Nico smirked at AS.

AS, being extremely mature, stuck her tongue out at him.

"**Long story," Reyna said. "But I remember you well. You were brave. I'd never seen anyone refuse Circe's hospitality, much less outwit her. It's no wonder Percy cares for you."**

**Her voice was wistful. Annabeth thought it might be safer not to respond.**

**They reached the top of the hill, where a terrace overlooked the entire valley.**

"**This is my favorite spot," Reyna said. "The Garden of Bacchus."**

**Grapevine trellises made a canopy overhead. Bees buzzed through honeysuckle and jasmine, which filled the afternoon air with a dizzying mix of perfumes. In the middle of the terrace stood a statue of Bacchus in a sort of ballet position, wearing nothing but a loincloth, his cheeks puffed out and lips pursed, spouting water into a fountain.**

"Say what?" Chris asked, "Mr. D never would wear that!"

"You wouldn't know that," Poseidon said, remembering the time he had caught Dionysus in the middle of yoga. He shivered at the memory.

**Despite her worries, Annabeth almost laughed. She knew the god in his Greek form, Dionysus—or Mr. D, as they called him back at Camp Half-Blood. Seeing their cranky old camp director immortalized in stone, wearing a diaper and spewing water from his mouth, made her feel a little better.**

**Reyna stopped at the edge of the terrace. The view was worth the climb. The whole city spread out below them like a 3-D mosaic. To the south, beyond the lake, a cluster of temples perched on a hill. To the north, an aqueduct marched toward the Berkeley Hills. Work crews were repairing a broken section, probably damaged in the recent battle.**

AS sighed, remembering the architecture of New Rome.

"**I wanted to hear it from you," Reyna said.**

**Annabeth turned. "Hear what from me?"**

"**The truth," Reyna said. "Convince me that I'm not making a mistake by trusting you. Tell me about yourself. Tell me about Camp Half-Blood. Your friend Piper has sorcery in her words. I spent enough time with Circe to know charmspeak when I hear it. I can't trust what she says. And Jason … well, he has changed. He seems distant, no longer quite Roman."**

"You can't just dismiss him like that." Thalia argued.

**The hurt in her voice was as sharp as broken glass. Annabeth wondered if she had sounded that way, all the months she'd spent searching for Percy. At least she'd found her boyfriend. **

"You're making me feel sorry for her!" Silena complained.

"Sorry, I guess?" Annabeth stated uncertainly.

**Reyna had no one. She was responsible for running an entire camp all by herself. Annabeth could sense that Reyna wanted Jason to love her. But he had disappeared, only to come back with a new girlfriend. Meanwhile, Percy had risen to praetor, but he had rebuffed Reyna too. Now Annabeth had come to take him away. **

"It was necessary." Grover commented.

**Reyna would be left alone again, shouldering a job meant for two people.**

**When Annabeth had arrived at Camp Jupiter, she'd been prepared to negotiate with Reyna or even fight her if needed. **

"That's what we all expected," Clarisse said gruffly.

**She hadn't been prepared to feel sorry for her.**

**She kept that feeling hidden. Reyna didn't strike her as someone who would appreciate pity.**

**Instead, she told Reyna about her own life. She talked about her dad and stepmom and her two stepbrothers in San Francisco, and how she had felt like an outsider in her own family.**

Annabeth's face darkened at the mention of her family.

**She talked about how she had run away when she was only seven, finding her friends Luke and Thalia**

Luke and Thalia smiled at being mentioned.

**and making her way to Camp Half-Blood on Long Island. She described the camp and her years growing up there. She talked about meeting Percy and the adventures they'd had together.**

**Reyna was a good listener.**

**Annabeth was tempted to tell her about more recent problems: her fight with her mom, the gift of the silver coin, and the nightmares she'd been having—about an old fear so paralyzing, she'd almost decided that she couldn't go on this quest.**

**But she couldn't bring herself to open up quite that much.**

"Good, don't tell the enemy everything." Clarisse said in approval.

**When Annabeth was done talking, Reyna gazed over New Rome. Her metal greyhounds sniffed around the garden, snapping at bees in the honeysuckle. Finally Reyna pointed to the cluster of temples on the distant hill.**

"**The small red building," she said, "there on the northern side? That's the temple of my mother, Bellona." Reyna turned toward Annabeth. "Unlike your mother, Bellona has no Greek equivalent. She is fully, truly Roman. She's the goddess of protecting the homeland."**

**Annabeth said nothing. She knew very little about the Roman goddess. She wished she had studied up, but Latin never came as easily to her as Greek.**

**Down below, the hull of the Argo II gleamed as it floated over the forum, like some massive bronze party balloon.**

"Another example of where Kelp Head has influenced her." Thalia commented.

"Hey! What's wrong with being influenced by me?" Percy asked, offended.

AS laughed at him, "Everything, Seaweed Brain,"

Percy pouted, "I thought you were going to be supportive of me, Wise Girl."

"Usually, I am," AS rolled her eyes.

Percy smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, you're right."

"**When the Romans go to war," Reyna continued, "we first visit the Temple of Bellona. Inside is a symbolic patch of ground that represents enemy soil. We throw a spear into that ground, indicating that we are now at war. You see, Romans have always believed that offense is the best defense. In ancient times, whenever our ancestors felt threatened by their neighbors, they would invade to protect themselves."**

**"They conquered everyone around them," Annabeth said. "Carthage, the Gauls—"**

**"And the Greeks." Reyna let that comment hang.**

Everyone's anger flared.

"That comment was totally uncalled for," Katie said.

"Stupid Roman, she's trying to cause bloodshed!" Will declared, angrily.

Poseidon let a sea breeze carry through the clearing, calming everyone down.

"**My point, Annabeth, is that it isn't Rome's nature to cooperate with other powers. Every time Greek and Roman demigods have met, we've fought. Conflicts between our two sides have started some of the most horrible wars in human history—especially civil wars."**

"**It doesn't have to be that way," Annabeth said. "We've got to work together, or Gaea will destroy us both."**

"Exactly! So stop insulting the Greeks!" Malcolm muttered.

"**I agree," Reyna said. "But is cooperation possible? What if Juno's plan is flawed? Even goddesses can make mistakes."**

**Annabeth waited for Reyna to get struck by lightning or turned into a peacock. Nothing happened.**

"Unfortunately," Clarisse grumbled.

**Unfortunately, Annabeth shared Reyna's doubts. Hera did make mistakes. Annabeth had had nothing but trouble from that overbearing goddess, and she'd never forgive Hera for taking Percy away, even if it was for a noble cause.**

"**I don't trust the goddess," Annabeth admitted. "But I do trust my friends. This isn't a trick, Reyna. We can work together."**

**Reyna finished her cup of chocolate. She set the cup on the terrace railing and gazed over the valley as if imagining battle lines.**

"**I believe you mean it," she said. "But if you go to the ancient lands, especially Rome itself, there is something you should know about your mother."**

"What would she know about Mom?" An Athena camper asked.

"Let's read on to find out," Malcolm told him.

**Annabeth's shoulders tensed. "My—my mother?"**

"**When I lived on Circe's island," Reyna said, "we had many visitors. Once, perhaps a year before you and Percy arrived, a young man washed ashore. He was half mad from thirst and heat. He'd been drifting at sea for days. His words didn't make much sense, but he said he was a son of Athena."**

"Oh," Said the same Athena camper.

**Reyna paused as if waiting for a reaction. Annabeth had no idea who the boy might have been. She wasn't aware of any other Athena kids who'd gone on a quest in the Sea of Monsters, but still she felt a sense of dread. The light filtering through the grapevines made shadows writhe across the ground like a swarm of bugs.**

"**What happened to this demigod?" she asked.**

**Reyna waved her hand as if the question was trivial. "Circe turned him into a guinea pig, of course.**

"Just like Percy," AS grinned.

Percy ignored the comment, and smiled back at her. _Nice to know she's not mad at me anymore, _he thought.

**He made quite a crazy little rodent. But before that, he kept raving about his failed quest. He claimed that he'd gone to Rome, following the Mark of Athena."**

**Annabeth grabbed the railing to keep her balance.**

"**Yes," Reyna said, seeing her discomfort. "He kept muttering about wisdom's child, the Mark of Athena, and the giants' bane standing pale and gold. The same lines Ella was just reciting. But you say that you've never heard them before today?"**

"Not that I know of," Annabeth commented. She was furiously searching her memory for something like that prophecy.

"**Not—not the way Ella said them." Annabeth's voice was weak. She wasn't lying. She'd never heard that prophecy, but her mother had charged her with following the Mark of Athena; and as she thought about the coin in her pocket, a horrible suspicion began taking root in her mind. She remembered her mother's scathing words. She thought about the strange nightmares she'd been having lately. "Did this demigod—did he explain his quest?"**

**Reyna shook her head. "At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about. Much later, when I became praetor of Camp Jupiter, I began to suspect."**

"**Suspect … what?"**

"**There is an old legend that the praetors of Camp Jupiter have passed down through the centuries. If it's true, it may explain why our two groups of demigods have never been able to work together. It may be the cause of our animosity. Until this old score is finally settled, so the legend goes, Romans and Greeks will never be at peace. And the legend centers on Athena—"**

**A shrill sound pierced the air. Light flashed in the corner of Annabeth's eye.**

**She turned in time to see an explosion blast a new crater in the forum.**

"An attack," Nico said, stating the obvious.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Thalia sighed.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm." Nico retorted.

**A burning couch tumbled through the air. Demigods scattered in panic.**

"I think I'd panic if a burning couch was hurtling toward me. Wouldn't you?" Chris asked.

"**Giants?" Annabeth reached for her dagger, which of course wasn't there. "I thought their army was defeated!"**

"**It isn't the giants." Reyna's eyes seethed with rage. "You've betrayed our trust."**

"As if!" Someone shouted.

"**What? No!"**

**As soon as she said it, the Argo II launched a second volley.**

"What the Hades!" Travis shouted. "This'll only serve to complicate things further!"

"No duh! Sit down and let Lord Poseidon read!" Katie commanded him.

Travis did as he was told.

**Its port ballista fired a massive spear wreathed in Greek fire, which sailed straight through the broken dome of the Senate House and exploded inside, lighting up the building like a jack-o'-lantern. If anyone had been in there …**

"**Gods, no." A wave of nausea almost made Annabeth's knees buckle. "Reyna, it isn't possible. We'd never do this!"**

"Listen to Annabeth," Luke muttered.

**The metal dogs ran to their mistress's side. They snarled at Annabeth but paced uncertainly, as if reluctant to attack.**

"**You're telling the truth," Reyna judged. "Perhaps you were not aware of this treachery, but someone must pay."**

**Down in the forum, chaos was spreading. Crowds were pushing and shoving. Fistfights were breaking out.**

"You might wanna get down there, and get down there fast." Silena said, nervously.

"**Bloodshed," Reyna said.**

"**We have to stop it!"**

**Annabeth had a horrible feeling this might be the last time Reyna and she ever acted in agreement, but together they ran down the hill.**

Everyone tensed.

**If weapons had been allowed in the city, Annabeth's friends would have already been dead.**

**The Roman demigods in the forum had coalesced into an angry mob. Some threw plates, food, and rocks at the Argo II, which was pointless, as most of the stuff fell back into the crowd.**

"Idiots," Clarisse muttered, but secretly, she was glad the Romans were idiots. If Annabeth and her friends had died… Actually, let's not think about that.

**Several dozen Romans had surrounded Piper and Jason, who were trying to calm them without much luck. Piper's charmspeak was useless against so many screaming, angry demigods. Jason's forehead was bleeding. His purple cloak had been ripped to shreds. He kept pleading, "I'm on your side!" but his orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt didn't help matters—nor did the warship overhead, firing flaming spears into New Rome. One landed nearby and blasted a toga shop to rubble.**

Thalia looked worried for her brother.

"**Pluto's pauldrons," Reyna cursed. "Look."**

**Armed legionnaires were hurrying toward the forum. Two artillery crews had set up catapults just outside the Pomerian Line and were preparing to fire at the Argo II.**

"**That'll just make things worse," Annabeth said.**

"Get out of there," Luke said. He was worried for Annabeth; he could care less for the others.

"**I hate my job," Reyna growled. She rushed off toward the legionnaires, her dogs at her side.**

_**Percy**_**, Annabeth thought, scanning the forum desperately. **_**Where are you?**_

"Trying to calm down some Romans," Percy said casually.

**Two Romans tried to grab her. She ducked past them, plunging into the crowd. As if the angry Romans, burning couches, and exploding buildings weren't confusing enough, hundreds of purple ghosts drifted through the forum, passing straight through the demigods' bodies and wailing incoherently. The fauns had also taken advantage of the chaos. They swarmed the dining tables, grabbing food, plates, and cups. One trotted by Annabeth with his arms full of tacos and an entire pineapple between his teeth.**

Grover shook his head at the description.

**A statue of Terminus exploded into being, right in front of Annabeth. He yelled at her in Latin, no doubt calling her a liar and a rule breaker; but she pushed the statue over and kept running.**

Connor and Travis grinned at AS and Annabeth, "Welcome to the Rule Breakers Club!" They said excitedly.

"Shut up, Stolls." Annabeth commanded.

**Finally she spotted Percy. He and his friends, Hazel and Frank, were standing in the middle of a fountain as Percy repelled the angry Romans with blasts of water. Percy's toga was in tatters, but he looked unhurt.**

"Yeah, Percy!" Will and Chris cheered.

**Annabeth called to him as another explosion rocked the forum. This time the flash of light was directly overhead. One of the Roman catapults had fired, and the Argo II groaned and tilted sideways, flames bubbling over its bronze-plated hull.**

**Annabeth noticed a figure clinging desperately to the rope ladder, trying to climb down. It was Octavian, his robes steaming and his face black with soot.**

Clarisse glared, "It was probably him." She sneered.

**Over by the fountain, Percy blasted the Roman mob with more water. Annabeth ran toward him, ducking a Roman fist and a flying plate of sandwiches.**

"**Annabeth!" Percy called. "What—?"**

"**I don't know!" she yelled.**

"**I'll tell you what!" cried a voice from above. Octavian had reached the bottom of the ladder. "The Greeks have fired on us! Your boy Leo has trained his weapons on Rome!"**

"Leo wouldn't do that!" Rachel shouted.

**Annabeth's chest filled with liquid hydrogen. She felt like she might shatter into a million frozen pieces.**

"**You're lying," she said. "Leo would never—"**

"**I was just there!" Octavian shrieked. "I saw it with my own eyes!"**

"Give me one good reason to believe you," Malcolm demanded.

**The Argo II returned fire. Legionnaires in the field scattered as one of their catapults was blasted to splinters.**

"**You see?" Octavian screamed. "Romans, kill the invaders!"**

**Annabeth growled in frustration. There was no time for anyone to figure out the truth. The crew from Camp Half-Blood was outnumbered a hundred to one,**

Everyone in the clearing paled, except for those that were there.

**and even if Octavian had managed to stage some sort of trick (which she thought likely),** **they'd never be able to convince the Romans before they were overrun and killed.**

"**We have to leave," she told Percy. "Now."**

**He nodded grimly. "Hazel, Frank, you've got to make a choice. Are you coming?"**

**Hazel looked terrified, but she donned her cavalry helmet. "Of course we are. But you'll never make it to the ship unless we buy you some time."**

"**How?" Annabeth asked.**

"That's what I'm wondering," Thalia mused.

**Hazel whistled. Instantly a blur of beige shot across the forum. A majestic horse materialized next to the fountain. He reared, whinnying and scattering the mob. Hazel climbed on his back like she'd been born to ride. Strapped to the horse's saddle was a Roman cavalry sword.**

**Hazel unsheathed her golden blade. "Send me an Iris-message when you're safely away, and we'll rendezvous," she said. "Arion, ride!"**

"Ah, Arion, he's a good horse." Poseidon said, conversationally.

**The horse zipped through the crowd with incredible speed, pushing back Romans and causing mass panic.**

"Go Arion!" Will shouted.

**Annabeth felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe they could make it out of here alive. **

"Keep thinking that way," Katie begged.

**Then, from halfway across the forum, she heard Jason shouting.**

"**Romans!" he cried. "Please!"**

**He and Piper were being pelted with plates and stones. Jason tried to shield Piper, but a brick caught him above the eye. He crumpled, and the crowd surged forward.**

Thalia looked extremely worried for her little brother now.

"**Get back!" Piper screamed. Her charmspeak rolled over the mob, making them hesitate, but Annabeth knew the effect wouldn't last. Percy and she couldn't possibly reach them in time to help.**

"**Frank," Percy said, "it's up to you. Can you help them?"**

**Annabeth didn't understand how Frank could do that all by himself, but he swallowed nervously.**

"How can he do that?" Annabeth asked.

"You'll find out." This came from Nico.

"**Oh, gods," he murmured. "Okay, sure. Just get up the ropes. Now."**

**Percy and Annabeth lunged for the ladder. Octavian was still clinging to the bottom, but Percy yanked him off and threw him into the mob.**

Poseidon nodded in approval.

**They began to climb as armed legionnaires flooded into the forum. Arrows whistled past Annabeth's head. An explosion almost knocked her off the ladder. Halfway up, she heard a roar below and glanced down.**

**Romans screamed and scattered as a full-sized dragon charged through the forum—**

"WOAH! Where'd that come from?!" The Stolls shouted.

**a beast even scarier than the bronze dragon figurehead on the Argo II. It had rough gray skin like a Komodo lizard's and leathery bat wings. Arrows and rocks bounced harmlessly off its hide as it lumbered toward Piper and Jason, grabbed them with its front claws, and vaulted into the air.**

"**Is that …?" Annabeth couldn't even put the thought into words.**

"For the first time," Percy grinned at AS.

"**Frank," Percy confirmed, a few feet above her. "He has a few special talents."**

"Frank?" Rachel asked, astounded.

"**Understatement," Annabeth muttered.**

"Gotta agree with Annie on that one," Thalia declared.

"Thalia!" Annabeth cried, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?"

"You can't stop me from calling you that," Thalia smirked.

"I can try, though." Annabeth retorted.

"**Keep climbing!"**

**Without the dragon and Hazel's horse to distract the archers, they never would have made it up the ladder; but finally they climbed past a row of broken aerial oars and onto the deck. The rigging was on fire. The foresail was ripped down the middle, and the ship listed badly to starboard.**

**There was no sign of Coach Hedge, but Leo stood amidships, calmly reloading the ballista. Annabeth's gut twisted with horror.**

"Leo!" Travis and Connor cried.

"**Leo!" she screamed. "What are you doing?"**

"**Destroy them …" He faced Annabeth. His eyes were glazed. His movements were like a robot's. "Destroy them all."**

"He's been possessed." Malcolm declared.

**He turned back to the ballista, but Percy tackled him. Leo's head hit the deck hard, and his eyes rolled up so that only the whites showed.**

Percy winced, remembering it. _I should've been a little more careful, _he thought.

**The gray dragon soared into view. It circled the ship once and landed at the bow, depositing Jason and Piper, who both collapsed.**

"**Go!" Percy yelled. "Get us out of here!"**

**With a shock, Annabeth realized he was talking to her.**

**She ran for the helm. She made the mistake of glancing over the rail and saw armed legionnaires closing ranks in the forum, preparing flaming arrows. Hazel spurred Arion, and they raced out of the city with a mob chasing after them. More catapults were being wheeled into range. All along the Pomerian Line, the statues of Terminus were glowing purple, as if building up energy for some kind of attack.**

All the Greeks eyes widened.

Luke said what everyone was thinking; "Uh-oh."

**Annabeth looked over the controls. She cursed Leo for making them so complicated. No time for fancy maneuvers, but she did know one basic command: Up.**

**She grabbed the aviation throttle and yanked it straight back. The ship groaned. The bow tilted up at a horrifying angle. The mooring lines snapped, and the Argo II shot into the clouds.**

Everyone sighed in relief.

"That's all for this chapter," Poseidon said, "Who want to read next?"

"If you don't mind, Lord Poseidon, I would like to." Rachel said. Poseidon passed the book to her, and she began to read.

* * *

**Well, hey everyone. Good news! I got a new charger for my lab top! *cue happy dance* Also, I couldn't help but notice all the feedback this story has been getting, so I just wanted to thank you all for your support. :D I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next time!**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	5. Leo V

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"Wait," Poseidon interrupted Rachel before she could start reading, "it's getting late. After this chapter we should head to bed."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"**Leo V," **Rachel began

"Finally, a point of view that's not mine," Annabeth sighed.

Travis and Connor sighed, "We were really enjoying your thoughts, though!" They complained.

"Just ignore them, Rachel." Thalia said.

**Leo wished he could invent a time machine. **

"Not possible," All Athena campers exclaimed.

**He'd go back two hours and undo what had happened. Either that, or he could invent a Slap-Leo-in-the-Face machine to punish himself,**

"I like that idea," The Hermes cabin grinned.

"Of course you would," Grover muttered.

**though he doubted it would hurt as badly as the look Annabeth was giving him.**

"You go, girl! Give Leo that terrifying look!" Cheered the children of the Big Three.

Both Annabeth's gave them the said look.

They shivered, but quickly covered it up by smiling brightly. "That's the one we're talking about!" Nico shouted.

"Shut up, Death Breath, and sit down," AS commanded.

"Yes ma'am," Nico said, still smiling. He turned to Percy, "She's a keeper, Perce."

Percy chuckled, and slapped Nico heartily on the back, "I know, cousin." He grinned cheekily at AS, "I wasn't planning on letting her go."

"Oh, so, if she wanted to leave, you wouldn't let her?" Luke asked, challengingly.

Percy looked at Luke strangely, "Of course I would let her go, but I hope she doesn't have any plans on leaving."

"Well ," AS sighed. She then saw Percy's horrified expression, "Just kidding, Seaweed Brain. I would never leave you." She then hugged him tightly.

Luke looked at Percy and growled lowly. "Watch your back, Jackson." He whispered to himself.

Poseidon heard this, and he narrowed his eyes at Luke.

Clarisse rolled her eyes, "Okay, enough with the lovey-dovey stuff. Get on with the book." The Ares cabin nodded in agreement.

"**One more time," she said. "Exactly what happened?"**

**Leo slumped against the mast. His head still throbbed from hitting the deck. All around him, his beautiful new ship was in shambles. The aft crossbows were piles of kindling. The foresail was tattered. The satellite array that powered the onboard Internet and TV was blown to bits, which had really made Coach Hedge mad. Their bronze dragon figurehead, Festus, was coughing up smoke like he had a hairball, and Leo could tell from the groaning sounds on the port side that some of the aerial oars had been knocked out of alignment or broken off completely, which explained why the ship was listing and shuddering as it flew, the engine wheezing like an asthmatic steam train.**

The Hephaestus cabin gasped, and looked at the book with terror in their eyes.

**He choked back a sob. "I don't know. It's fuzzy."**

**Too many people were looking at him: Annabeth (Leo hated to make her angry; that girl scared him),**

"She scares everyone, Leo!" Silena exclaimed.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Glad to know you're all scared of me."

Thalia looked at her, "You gotta admit, lil' Annie, you can be pretty scary, even at age ten."

"Yeah, look at your older self, she's accepted the fact," Grover said casually.

"Shut it, Goat Boy," Both versions demanded.

Rachel took this as her opportunity to read again.

**Coach Hedge with his furry goat legs, his orange polo shirt, and his baseball bat (did he have to carry that everywhere?), and the newcomer, Frank.**

**Leo wasn't sure what to make of Frank. He looked like a baby sumo wrestler, though Leo wasn't stupid enough to say that aloud.**

"That wouldn't be the wisest situation," Will told the book.

"Since when were you one to judge what was wise and what wasn't, Will?" An Athena camper asked teasingly.

Will blushed, but didn't reply.

**Leo's memory was hazy, but while he'd been half conscious, he was pretty sure he'd seen a dragon land on the ship—a dragon that had turned into Frank.**

**Annabeth crossed her arms. "You mean you don't remember?"**

**"I …" Leo felt like he was trying to swallow a marble. "I remember, but it's like I was watching myself do things. I couldn't control it."**

Percy shuddered, remembering the experience.

**Coach Hedge tapped his bat against the deck. In his gym clothes, with his cap pulled over his horns, he looked just like he used to at the Wilderness School, where he'd spent a year undercover as Jason, Piper, and Leo's P.E. teacher. The way the old satyr was glowering, Leo almost wondered if the coach was going to order him to do push-ups.**

"**Look, kid," Hedge said, "you blew up some stuff. You attacked some Romans. Awesome!**

"Not." Rachel corrected.

**Excellent! But did you have to knock out the satellite channels?**

"My kinda satyr!" Chris exclaimed.

**I was right in the middle of watching a cage match."**

"**Coach," Annabeth said, "why don't you make sure all the fires are out?"**

"**But I already did that."**

"**Do it again."**

"I'm just a little bossy. I like it how I like it when I like it, and that's how it is," Thalia and Percy sang.

"Dude, did you just sing Lindsay Lohan?" Grover asked them.

"Yeah, you got a problem with it?" Thalia asked, teasingly.

"Not one, but I like how you refer that song to Annabeth," Grover smirked.

AS smiled at him, "Well, it's true."

"She likes it how she likes it when she likes it, and that's just how it is," They sang again.

"We get it," Annabeth sighed.

**The satyr trudged off, muttering under his breath. Even Hedge wasn't crazy enough to defy Annabeth.**

"Smart," Clarisse admitted.

**She knelt next to Leo. Her gray eyes were as steely as ball bearings. Her blond hair fell loose around her shoulders, but Leo didn't find that attractive.**

Annabeth and AS looked offended at this, while Percy glared at the book, "Leo doesn't know attractive when he sees it." He stated.

**He had no idea where the stereotype of dumb giggly blondes came from. **

"Me neither," The whole Athena cabin grumbled.

**Ever since he'd met Annabeth at the Grand Canyon last winter, when she'd marched toward him with that 'Give-me-Percy-Jackson-or-I'll-kill-you' expression,**

Everyone burst out laughing at this.

Percy wrapped his arm around AS's shoulders, "Nice to know you'll kill someone for me, Wise Girl." He laughed.

"Shut up," She replied, blushing.

**Leo thought of blondes as much too smart and much too dangerous.**

"It should stay like that." Malcolm said, firmly.

"**Leo," she said calmly, "did Octavian trick you somehow? Did he frame you, or—"**

"**No." Leo could have lied and blamed that stupid Roman, but he didn't want to make a bad situation worse.**

Beckendorf nodded approvingly at his brother's actions.

"**The guy was a jerk, but he didn't fire on the camp. I did."**

**The new kid, Frank, scowled. "On purpose?"**

"**No!" Leo squeezed his eyes shut. "Well, yes … I mean, I didn't want to. But at the same time, I felt like I wanted to. Something was making me do it. There was this cold feeling inside me—"**

"**A cold feeling." Annabeth's tone changed. She sounded almost … scared.**

"When Annabeth's scared, you should be terrified." Nico stated, wisely.

Thalia, Percy, Poseidon, Rachel, and Grover nodded in agreement.

"**Yeah," Leo said. "Why?"**

**From belowdecks, Percy called up, "Annabeth, we need you."**

_**Oh, gods**_**, Leo thought. **_**Please let Jason be okay.**_

"Yes, please," Thalia begged.

**As soon as they'd gotten on board, Piper had taken Jason below. The cut on his head had looked pretty bad. Leo had known Jason longer than anyone at Camp Half-Blood. They were best friends. If Jason didn't make it …**

"**He'll be fine." Annabeth's expression softened. "Frank, I'll be back. Just … watch Leo. Please."**

**Frank nodded.**

**If it was possible for Leo to feel worse, he did. Annabeth now trusted a Roman demigod she'd known for like, three seconds, more than she trusted Leo.**

AS sighed, "I trust Leo completely now."

**Once she was gone, Leo and Frank stared at each other. The big dude looked pretty odd in his bedsheet toga, with his gray pullover hoodie and jeans, and a bow and quiver from the ship's armory slung over his shoulder. Leo remembered the time he had met the Hunters of Artemis—a bunch of cute lithe girls in silvery clothes, all armed with bows. He imagined Frank frolicking along with them. The idea was so ridiculous, it almost made him feel better.**

"Lolno," Thalia laughed out.

"**So," Frank said. "Your name isn't Sammy?"**

**Leo scowled. "What kind of question is that?"**

"An honest one," Travis said innocently, "Every time I meet a new person, I ask them if there name is Sammy."

"**Nothing," Frank said quickly. "I just— Nothing. About the firing on the camp … Octavian could be behind it, like magically or something. He didn't want the Romans getting along with you guys."**

**Leo wanted to believe that. He was grateful to this kid for not hating him. But he knew it hadn't been Octavian. Leo had walked to a ballista and started firing. Part of him had known it was wrong. He'd asked himself: What the heck am I doing? But he'd done it anyway.**

**Maybe he was going crazy. The stress of all those months working on the Argo II might've finally made him crack.**

**But he couldn't think about that. He needed to do something productive. His hands needed to be busy.**

"**Look," he said, "I should talk to Festus and get a damage report. You mind …?"**

**Frank helped him up. "Who is Festus?"**

"**My friend," Leo said. "His name isn't Sammy either, in case you're wondering.**

"Definitely wondering that," Luke said while rolling his eyes.

**Come on. I'll introduce you."**

**Fortunately the bronze dragon wasn't damaged. Well, aside from the fact that last winter he'd lost everything except his head—but Leo didn't count that.**

**When they reached the bow of the ship, the figurehead turned a hundred and eighty degrees to look at them. Frank yelped and backed away.**

"**It's alive!" he said.**

"All we needed was lightning for dramatic effect!" Percy laughed evilly.

Thalia helped him out with that, and soon enough they were cackling madly.

"Oo-kay," Katie looked uncomfortable.

**Leo would have laughed if he hadn't felt so bad. "Yeah. Frank, this is Festus. He used to be a full bronze dragon, but we had an accident."**

"**You have a lot of accidents," Frank noted.**

"**Well, some of us can't turn into dragons, so we have to build our own."**

"A little harsh, bro." Beckendorf commented.

**Leo arched his eyebrows at Frank. "Anyway, I revived him as a figurehead. He's kind of the ship's main interface now. How are things looking, Festus?"**

**Festus snorted smoke and made a series of squeaking, whirring sounds. Over the last few months, Leo had learned to interpret this machine language. Other demigods could understand Latin and Greek. Leo could speak Creak and Squeak.**

Beckendorf then engaged in a conversation with one of his sisters in Creak and Squeak.

Everyone stared at them, mouths hung open.

Beckendorf seemed to sense all eyes on him, "What?" he asked innocently.

"**Ugh," Leo said. "Could be worse, but the hull is compromised in several places. The port aerial oars have to be fixed before we can go full speed again. We'll need some repair materials: Celestial bronze, tar, lime—"**

"**What do you need limes for?"**

"Limes are very essential," Percy noted solemnly.

"**Dude, lime. Calcium carbonate, used in cement and a bunch of other— Ah, never mind. The point is, this ship isn't going far unless we can fix it."**

**Festus made another click-creak noise that Leo didn't recognize. It sounded like AY-zuhl.**

"**Oh … Hazel," he deciphered. "That's the girl with the curly hair, right?"**

**Frank gulped. "Is she okay?"**

"**Yeah, she's fine," Leo said. "According to Festus, her horse is racing along below. She's following us."**

"**We've got to land, then," Frank said.**

**Leo studied him. "She's your girlfriend?"**

**Frank chewed his lip. "Yes."**

"Doesn't sound sure," Katie mused.

"**You don't sound sure."**

Katie blushed while everyone laughed.

"**Yes. Yes, definitely. I'm sure."**

**Leo raised his hands. "Okay, fine. The problem is we can only manage one landing. The way the hull and the oars are, we won't be able to lift off again until we repair, so we'll have to make sure we land somewhere with all the right supplies."**

**Frank scratched his head. "Where do you get Celestial bronze? You can't just stock up at Home Depot."**

"Yes you can. Silly Frank!" Connor exclaimed. Travis just shook his head at his brother's stupidity.

"**Festus, do a scan."**

"**He can scan for magic bronze?" Frank marveled. "Is there anything he can't do?"**

**Leo thought: You should've seen him when he had a body. But he didn't say that. It was too painful, remembering the way Festus used to be.**

"Yeah, I hate it when a machine ends up destroyed," An Hephaestus camper said.

**Leo peered over the ship's bow. The Central California valley was passing below. Leo didn't hold out much hope that they could find what they needed all in one place, but they had to try. Leo also wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and New Rome. The Argo II could cover vast distances pretty quickly, thanks to its magical engine, but Leo figured the Romans had magic travel methods of their own.**

**Behind him, the stairs creaked. Percy and Annabeth climbed up, their faces grim.**

**Leo's heart stumbled. "Is Jason—?"**

"**He's resting," Annabeth said. "Piper's keeping an eye on him, but he should be fine."**

"That's a relief," Thalia sighed.

"Since when did Annabeth become a nurse?" Nico mused.

**Percy gave him a hard look. "Annabeth says you did fire the ballista?"**

"**Man, I—I don't understand how it happened. I'm so sorry—"**

"**Sorry?" Percy growled.**

"You're scaring the kid, Perce." Grover told him.

Percy winced, "I might've been a little hard on him," He mumbled sheepishly.

"You think?" Luke muttered, but no one heard him.

**Annabeth put a hand on her boyfriend's chest. **

"We all know she's the only one who can calm him," Travis teased.

"You've only known us for about three hours," AS pointed out.

"It's not that hard to see, though." Travis argued.

"I never thought I'd say this, but Travis Stoll is right." Thalia said.

Travis grinned widely, "See?"

"Can we continue reading?" Luke asked.

**"We'll figure it out later. Right now, we have to regroup and make a plan. What's the situation with the ship?"**

**Leo's legs trembled. The way Percy had looked at him made him feel the same as when Jason summoned lightning. Leo's skin tingled, and every instinct in his body screamed, Duck!**

"Perce is pretty powerful and scary," Grover smirked.

"I know right. After he bathed in the River Styx, he took out my father's army in a matter of seconds. It was pretty scary." Nico told the group.

"Wait, you've bathed in the River Styx?" Annabeth asked.

Percy nodded, "Yeah, but when I went to the Romans, their river, the Little Tiber, washed off the curse because it was only a Greek blessing."

Everyone's eyes widened a considerable amount, except those from the future.

"Dude, you're my new idol!" Connor screamed.

"Yeah! When I grow up, I want to be Percy Jackson!" Travis shouted.

This statement angered Luke more than anything else. His own _brothers_ looked up to that insufferable Perseus Jackson.

Percy looked at Travis sadly, "No, you don't. I may have been a hero, but I've suffered through terrible loss and tragedy."

Travis looked at him curiously, "What happened?"

Percy and AS looked at each other, "You'll find out at the end of this book," AS said.

"Read! I wanna find out what happened!" Will encouraged Rachel.

**He told Annabeth about the damage and the supplies they needed. At least he felt better talking about something fixable.**

**He was bemoaning the shortage of Celestial bronze when Festus began to whir and squeak.**

"**Perfect." Leo sighed with relief.**

"**What's perfect?" Annabeth said. "I could use some perfect about now."**

**Leo managed a smile. "Everything we need in one place.**

**Frank, why don't you turn into a bird or something? Fly down and tell your girlfriend to meet us at the Great Salt Lake in Utah."**

**Once they got there, it wasn't a pretty landing. With the oars damaged and the foresail torn, Leo could barely manage a controlled descent. The others strapped themselves in below—except for Coach Hedge, who insisted on clinging to the forward rail, yelling, "YEAH! Bring it on, lake!"**

Everyone shared a laugh at this.

**Leo stood astern, alone at the helm, and aimed as best he could.**

**Festus creaked and whirred warning signals, which were relayed through the intercom to the quarterdeck.**

"**I know, I know," Leo said, gritting his teeth.**

**He didn't have much time to take in the scenery. To the southeast, a city was nestled in the foothills of a mountain range, blue and purple in the afternoon shadows. A flat desert landscape spread to the south. Directly beneath them the Great Salt Lake glittered like aluminum foil, the shoreline etched with white salt marshes that reminded Leo of aerial photos of Mars.**

"**Hang on, Coach!" he shouted. "This is going to hurt."**

"**I was born for hurt!"**

**WHOOM! A swell of salt water washed over the bow, dousing Coach Hedge. The Argo II listed dangerously to starboard, then righted itself and rocked on the surface of the lake. Machinery hummed as the aerial blades that were still working changed to nautical form.**

**Three banks of robotic oars dipped into the water and began moving them forward.**

"**Good job, Festus," Leo said. "Take us toward the south shore."**

"**Yeah!" Coach Hedge pumped his fists in the air. He was drenched from his horns to hooves, but grinning like a crazy goat. "Do it again!"**

Grover grinned at this, "Hedge is a great guy."

"**Uh … maybe later," Leo said. "Just stay above deck, okay? You can keep watch, in case—you know, the lake decides to attack us or something."**

"It's sooo common to be attacked by lakes," Luke commented rolling his eyes.

"I was actually attacked by a lake once," Nico said, "Lake Percy."

Luke sneered at the son of Hades.

Nico sneered back, ten times scarier.

"**On it," Hedge promised.**

**Leo rang the All clear bell and headed for the stairs. Before he got there, a loud clump-clump-clump shook the hull. A tan stallion appeared on deck with Hazel Levesque on his back.**

"**How—?" Leo's question died in his throat. "We're in the middle of a lake! Can that thing fly?"**

**The horse whinnied angrily.**

Poseidon laughed, "Arion always had a temper."

"**Arion can't fly," Hazel said. "But he can run across just about anything. Water, vertical surfaces, small mountains—none of that bothers him."**

"**Oh."**

**Hazel was looking at him strangely, the way she had during the feast in the forum—like she was searching for something in his face. He was tempted to ask if they had met before, but he was sure they hadn't. He would remember a pretty girl paying such close attention to him. That didn't happen a lot.**

**She's Frank's girlfriend, he reminded himself.**

The Aphrodite giggled at this.

**Frank was still below, but Leo almost wished the big guy would come up the stairs. The way Hazel was studying Leo made him feel uneasy and self-conscious.**

**Coach Hedge crept forward with his baseball bat, eyeing the magic horse suspiciously. "Valdez, does this count as an invasion?"**

"No, it does not!" Percy exclaimed.

"**No!" Leo said. "Um, Hazel, you'd better come with me. I built a stable belowdecks, if Arion wants to—"**

"**He's more of a free spirit." Hazel slipped out of the saddle. "He'll graze around the lake until I call him. But I want to see the ship. Lead the way."**

**The Argo II was designed like an ancient trireme, only twice as big. The first deck had one central corridor with crew cabins on either side. On a normal trireme, most of the space would've been taken up with three rows of benches for a few hundred sweaty guys to do the manual labor, but Leo's oars were automated and retractable, so they took up very little room inside the hull.**

**The ship's power came from the engine room on the second and lowest deck, which also housed sickbay, storage, and the stables.**

**Leo led the way down the hall. He'd built the ship with eight cabins—seven for the demigods of the prophecy, and a room for Coach Hedge (Seriously—Chiron considered him a responsible adult chaperone?).**

"Not one of Chiron's best ideas." Nico laughed.

**At the stern was a large mess hall/lounge, which was where Leo headed.**

**On the way, they passed Jason's room. The door was open. Piper sat at the side of his berth, holding Jason's hand while he snored with an ice pack on his head.**

**Piper glanced at Leo. She held a finger to her lips for quiet, but she didn't look angry. That was something. Leo tried to force down his guilt, and they kept walking. When they reached the mess hall, they found the others—Percy, Annabeth, and Frank—sitting dejectedly around the dining table.**

**Leo had made the lounge as nice as possible, since he figured they'd be spending a lot of time there. The cupboard was lined with magic cups and plates from Camp Half-Blood, which would fill up with whatever food or drink you wanted on command.**

"Good thinking, Leo. Especially with yourself, Jason, and Percy on board." Thalia teased.

**There was also a magical ice chest with canned drinks, perfect for picnics ashore. The chairs were cushy recliners with thousand-finger massage, built-in headphones, and sword and drink holders for all your demigod kicking-back needs.**

"I love spending time on the Argo II," Percy said, wistfully.

**There were no windows, but the walls were enchanted to show real-time footage from Camp Half-Blood—the beach, the forest, the strawberry fields—although now Leo was wondering if this made people homesick rather than happy.**

**Percy was staring longingly at a sunset view of Half-Blood Hill, where the Golden Fleece glittered in the branches of the tall pine tree.**

"Golden Fleece?" Annabeth gasped.

"Yup, second quest." Percy responded.

"**So we've landed," Percy said. "What now?"**

**Frank plucked on his bowstring. "Figure out the prophecy? I mean … that was a prophecy Ella spoke, right? From the Sibylline Books?"**

"**The what?" Leo asked.**

**Frank explained how their harpy friend was freakishly good at memorizing books. At some point in the past, she'd inhaled a collection of ancient prophecies that had supposedly been destroyed around the fall of Rome.**

"**That's why you didn't tell the Romans," Leo guessed. "You didn't want them to get hold of her."**

**Percy kept staring at the image of Half-Blood Hill. "Ella's sensitive. She was a captive when we found her. I just didn't want …" He made a fist. "It doesn't matter now. I sent Tyson an Iris-message, told him to take Ella to Camp Half-Blood. They'll be safe there."**

**Leo doubted that any of them would be safe, now that he had stirred up a camp of angry Romans on top of the problems they already had with Gaea and the giants; but he kept quiet.**

**Annabeth laced her fingers. "Let me think about the prophecy—but right now we have more immediate problems. We have to get this ship fixed. Leo, what do we need?"**

"A lot of things," The Hephaestus cabin replied.

"**The easiest thing is tar." Leo was glad to change the subject. "We can get that in the city, at a roofing-supply store or someplace like that. Also, Celestial bronze and lime. According to Festus, we can find both of those on an island in the lake, just west of here."**

"**We'll have to hurry," Hazel warned. "If I know Octavian, he's searching for us with his auguries. The Romans will send a strike force after us. It's a matter of honor."**

"Romans are all about keeping their honor," Annabeth grumbled.

**Leo felt everyone's eyes on him. "Guys … I don't know what happened. Honestly, I—"**

**Annabeth raised her hand. "We've been talking. We agree it couldn't have been you, Leo. That cold feeling you mentioned … I felt it too. It must have been some sort of magic, either Octavian or Gaea or one of her minions. But until we understand what happened —"**

**Frank grunted. "How can we be sure it won't happen again?"**

"We can't." The Stolls said bluntly.

**Leo's fingers heated up like they were about to catch fire. One of his powers as a son of Hephaestus was that he could summon flames at will; but he had to be careful not to do so by accident, especially on a ship filled with explosives and flammable supplies.**

"That would be bad," Chris winced.

"**I'm fine now," he insisted, though he wished he could be sure. "Maybe we should use the buddy system. Nobody goes anywhere alone. We can leave Piper and Coach Hedge on board with Jason. Send one team into town to get tar. Another team can go after the bronze and the lime."**

"**Split up?" Percy said. "That sounds like a really bad idea."**

**"It'll be quicker," Hazel put in. "Besides, there's a reason a quest is usually limited to three demigods, right?"**

**Annabeth raised her eyebrows, as if reappraising Hazel's merits.**

"**You're right. The same reason we needed the Argo II … outside camp, seven demigods in one place will attract way too much monstrous attention. The ship is designed to conceal and protect us. We should be safe enough on board; but if we go on expeditions, we shouldn't travel in groups larger than three. No sense alerting more of Gaea's minions than we have to."**

"Be as safe as possible," Silena advised.

**Percy still didn't look happy about it, but he took Annabeth's hand. "As long as you're my buddy, I'm good."**

"Aww," The Aphrodite cabin cooed.

**Hazel smiled. "Oh, that's easy. Frank, you were amazing, turning into a dragon! Could you do it again to fly Annabeth and Percy into town for the tar?"**

"Anything for the girlfriend," Will snickered.

**Frank opened his mouth like he wanted to protest. "I … I suppose. But what about you?"**

"**I'll ride Arion with Sa—with Leo, here." She fidgeted with her sword hilt, which made Leo uneasy. She had even more nervous energy than he did.**

"**We'll get the bronze and the lime. We can all meet back here by dark."**

**Frank scowled. Obviously, he didn't like the idea of Leo going off with Hazel. For some reason, Frank's disapproval made Leo want to go.**

"Ooh," The Hermes cabin said.

"Bad boy, Leo Valdez." Thalia laughed.

"If only Frank were here to read with us," Percy commented.

"He wouldn't like to hear that." AS finished.

**He had to prove he was trustworthy. He wasn't going to fire any random ballistae again.**

"Good, good." Poseidon smiled.

"**Leo," said Annabeth, "if we get the supplies, how long to fix the ship?"**

"**With luck, just a few hours."**

"It's probably going to take longer, everyone knows Percy is bad luck," Nico stated, casually.

"Hey!" Percy pouted.

"It's true, Perce." Thalia told her cousin.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Percy muttered.

"**Fine," she decided. "We'll meet you back here as soon as possible, but stay safe. We could use some good luck. That doesn't mean we'll get it."**

"Words have never been truer," Thalia exclaimed.

"End of chapter," Rachel said.

"Okay, children, bed time!" Poseidon told them.

"Rachel, you can stay in an extra room in the Big House." Annabeth told her.

"Thanks," Rachel replied, and went off to her room.

Everyone else followed her example, and went to their cabins.

* * *

**New chapter! I think I'll settle into the schedule of updating on Mondays and Fridays, and if I miss a day, I'll post the chapter as soon as I can. As always, thanks for the continued support, and have a great day!**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	6. A Night to Remember

_**3:13 AM, Next Day**_

_**Percy's POV**_

_I was running through the halls of Tartarus, with Annabeth by my side. We were running from a monster that was so ancient, even Annabeth didn't know. Along the way, she stumbled. Her ankle was still broken, but the ambrosia and nectar were slowly mending it. Still, she had trouble running at times. _

"_Percy!" She cried out. I ran to her side, while the _thing _that was chasing us was catching up. "Percy, I can't go any farther. You-"_

"_NO! Annabeth, you know I am not going to leave you! Personal loyalty, remember?" I cut her off before she could finish. I couldn't believe she actually thought I would abandon her. She gazed into my sea-green eyes, while I stared into her stormy gray ones._

"_You have to, Per-" She was cut off by the monster's loud screech, and it started attacking._

_Quickly, I jumped into a protective stance, while uncapping Riptide. The monster seemed hesitant to attacked, but it quickly threw a couple slashes at me with its claws. I faintly heard Annabeth shuffling around to stand up. Whatever it was, seemed to notice this and clawed at Annabeth's back. She screamed in pain, and quickly sank to the ground._

_Now, that monster had gone too far. I looked for an opening, and found one on the monster's neck. It shrieked and disappeared, but I knew it would be only another amount of time till another monster started chasing us._

_I knelt down next to Annabeth, and saw her eyes closed, and teeth clenched in pain. "Annabeth," I whispered._

_She heard me and open her eyes, and smiled sadly, "Seaweed Brain, whatever that was, it had poison on its claws." Her eyes were filled with love, sadness, and hope that I would get what she meant. _

_My eyes widened, "No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening. You are not dying on me, Wise Girl." I pleaded, desperately. _

_She looked away, and I knew she meant it. She was dying. It was hard to believe. I mean, after all that we've been through? I knew she wanted me to accept it more than anything, and I was determined to fulfill her last wish._

"_I love you, Annabeth Chase," I said, firmly._

_When she looked up, the light was fading in her eyes, and quickly. With her last breath, she said those four words. "I love you, too."_

I bolted upright. Once again, another nightmare to remind me of my trip into Tartarus. That one was always the worse, though, because it was so realistic, and the Fates had probably considered making it happen. In order to get my mind off of it, though, and I walked to the beach. The night breeze was cool, but welcoming. I admit, it was strange seeing camp the way it used to be, but I got used to it.

When I arrived on the beach, I found three figures there. I immediately recognized them as Thalia, Annabeth (Older), and my dad. Okay, I could understand Annabeth and my dad, but Thalia? Walking up to them, I put my arms around Wise Girl's waist, and called out to the other two, "Hi, dad and Queen of the Pinecones."

Thalia glared at me while my dad smiled at me, "Percy, what brings you here?" Dad asked.

I grimaced, remembering the dream. "Nightmares," I said briefly, but Thalia and Annabeth caught the undertones in my voice. Thalia gave me a questioning glance, while Annabeth snuggled in closer to me.

Dad nodded, and it went silent. Thalia, Annabeth, and my dad were watching the ocean, while I was staring at Wise Girl, making sure she was here, and not just an illusion. "Why'd you come out here?" I asked her, softly, making sure my father or Thalia hadn't heard.

"Same reason as you, nightmares about…" She trailed off, but I could understand. I nodded against her shoulder, and I watched as the waves crashed on to the shore.

"I guess I should be trying to get some sleep," Dad smiled. He was such a friendly person, that we couldn't help but smile back. Poseidon came and gave us all bear hugs, and while he was giving me mine, he whispered into my ear, "Just so you know, that Luke kid is watching in the trees." I laughed to let him know I understood. He said goodbye, and left us on the shore.

Thalia and Annabeth had already sat down, so I followed their example. "So, Pineconey, what brings you here?" I asked casually.

Annabeth laughed while Thalia glared at me, "Where do you come up with these nicknames, Jackson?"

I shrugged, "I'm talented like that."

Wise Girl scoffed, "Please, the only thing you're talented at is making blue pancakes and causing trouble."

Thalia high-fived her, but then turned to me, "Well, if you simply must know, I just wanted to look at the ocean."

"Now look who's turning into a kelp head," I grinned.

"Ugh! I hate you!" Thalia growled.

"No, you lurvvv me." I retorted.

Thalia had a look of disgust on her face, "I'm positive that's your girlfriend's job."

Annabeth grinned, and snuggled closer, "Yup, my job, and my job only."

"Look who's getting possessive." I smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes, "Well, you are my property, so I have a right."

Thalia interrupted before I could respond, "You two are soooo cute!" She squealed sarcastically.

I stuck my tongue out at her, while she did likewise.

Annabeth snorted, "Real mature, guys."

I just commanded a bit of water to splash on both of them. They both turned to me with their clothes soaked. Oops. By a bit I meant a whole lot.

"Perseus Jackson!" Annabeth growled. I winced, but quickly covered it up by smiling lazily at her. She may not know it, but she was pretty freakin' adorable when she was pissed.

"Yes, babe?" I asked, all too innocently. Thalia blasted me with a volt of lightning, but it did the trick.

"Okay, I'm sorry ladies, let me dry you off." I stepped forward, only to have a wave crash over us, and take us into the ocean. Both of the girls looked pretty scared to be out here, after all, the daughters of two of his worst enemies were in my father's territory, but I promised them I would protect them.

"I got ya! Don't worry, Hunter Girl, you won't drown, I promise." I tried consoling her. After a while, she managed to calm down, so an idea popped into my mind. I pushed them under, and made an air bubble around us so we could breathe. Annabeth and I watched, amused, as Thalia went as long as she could without breathing, and finally she took in several gulps of air.

"Kelp Head, why didn't you tell me I could breathe in here?" She complained.

"We would've," I started.

"But it was too amusing to watch you." Wise Girl finished.

"I hate you two." Thalia grumbled.

"We both know that's a lie, Katniss." Annabeth told her.

"Did you just call me Katniss? As in Everdeen?" She asked surprised.

Annabeth nodded. I wondered who this Katniss girl was.

"Why, though?" Thalia asked disbelievingly.

"Katniss uses a bow, and you use a bow. Hence the nickname, Katniss." My girlfriend explained. Okay...

"Who's this Katniss girl?" I asked exasperated.

Annabeth's jaw dropped. Oh no. Not a good sign. "Percy, are you kidding me? Do you not remember that movie we watched? _The Hunger Games_?" I searched my brain for a memory. Oh yeah. I remember watching it, well; I didn't watch it, exactly. I had something better to watch, or more specifically, _someone_. You should've seen Wise Girl's reactions throughout the whole thing.

Nevertheless, I answered, "Yeah, I do. Why?"

Thalia and Annabeth both facepalmed. "I don't know why I'm getting married to you in the first place," Annabeth muttered. "Seaweed Brain, Katniss was the main character in that movie."

Oh. "That explains… a lot, actually." I admitted.

"I'm sure it does, I'm sure it does." Thalia murmured.

"Hey!"

"Shut up, Kelp Boy, and get us to the surface. I'm tired." She complained.

I pouted, but obeyed her request. Then a thought hit me. This had been the only time I had _actually _spent quality time with my cousin, and it was pretty fun. Once we got onto the shore, Thalia did something I'd never thought she'd do. She _tackle-hugged _me. Then she got up, and ran away, cackling madly.

"I never thought I'd see the day," A voice said behind me. I turned around and saw it was Luke.

"What do you need, Luke?" Annabeth asked. She sounded casual, but I caught the suspicious tone underneath it.

"Oh, nothing, Annie, I was just walking along the beach when I saw Thalia tackle hug Percy." He shrugged. Yeah, right, Castellan. I know you were hiding in the trees the whole time.

"Cool, now if you'll excuse us," I said, trying to keep my cool, "we need to be heading to our cabins." I took Annabeth's hand and started to pull her along when Luke stopped us.

"Now, hold on, Percy, if Annabeth doesn't want to go, then don't make her." He tried to persuade me.

I rolled my eyes, "I've known her long enough to know what she wants, and what she doesn't want. She wants to leave, trust me."

Luke sneered at me. He came closer to Annabeth, which made her try to get as close to me as possible. "Annabeth," he began, "if you don't want to stay with this jerk, then you don't have to." Alright, what the Hades was up with that? Annabeth squeezed my hand to let me know that she wouldn't think about it.

"Luke," Annabeth said, firmly, "Percy is not a jerk, and I love him. Please excuse us." She attempted to walk past Luke, but the hem of her shirt had ridden up, revealing a scar that she had earned from our time in that living hell.

Luke gasped, and I know he must've seen what I saw. He turned to me, anger in his eyes, along with a gleam… was that triumph? "You hit her!" He accused me, and my jaw dropped. Me, hurt Annabeth? I would never! "You hit her!" He yelled, again. "That's why she won't leave! It's because she's afraid you'll hurt her!"

I looked past him at Annabeth, whose eyes were widened in shock. Looks like she couldn't believe it, either.

"Luke! I would never even consider hurting her! What the Hades is your problem?" I shouted, drawing attention to myself. I could already hear the heavy footfalls of about the whole camp coming towards us.

"You're a goddamn liar, Jackson! You obviously threatened her into a relationship with you!" He practically screamed. By now Annabeth had snapped out of her shock and was shouting at Luke.

"You don't know anything, Luke! Percy would never abuse me!" She told him firmly.

"Annabeth, you don't have to lie!" Luke shouted. The whole camp was here now and just staring at us in shock. "If he hasn't abused you, tell me where that scar came from!" He got in my face now. "Jackson, you are a bastard who doesn't deserve anything! To actually hit a woman, that's pretty fucking low." He kneed me in the stomach, and punched me in the face.

I was shocked of all those things he accused me of. How dare he? My anger started to rise, and so did the entire lake, until I felt two sets of arms holding me back. "Let me go!" I yelled at whoever was holding me back. "He dares accuse me of hitting my girlfriend when he doesn't know that we survived through Tartarus itself for one whole month!" After I shouted that last statement, the whole clearing went silent.

"He's not worth it, Percy." Someone said above me. I looked up and saw Thalia and Nico. They were the ones who were holding me back. I was brought out of my thoughts when I heard sobs coming from somewhere around us. I looked up and I saw it was Annabeth who was sobbing. Luke looked away from me, and his eyes were softened.

He made his way to her, and before I even knew what I was doing, I had him pinned to the ground, and Thalia, Nico, Rachel, and Grover were comforting Annabeth. "Luke, you will not touch her. You will not speak to her; you will not even look at her. Are we clear?" For a brief moment, I saw fear in his eyes, and it made me smirk. My smirk melted away when he sneered at me.

"You can't set those rules, Jackson. Besides, why would she need a boyfriend who abuses her and lies about falling into Tartarus?" He asked me. It got eerily quiet in the clearing, and I stood up. I looked at everyone around the clearing, and I could see the uncertainty in their faces, besides my friends' and father's face.

Then Annabeth stood up, her eyes were bloodshot from crying, but I didn't care. She looked gorgeous to me. "You want proof, Luke? You want to see whether or not Tartarus was real? Fine." She locked eyes with mine, and I could tell what she was thinking. She untied her shoe that was on the foot where she had broken her ankle, and her ankle glistened golden in the moonlight. It had the words 'DAUGHTER OF ATHENA, TARTARUS' engraved onto it. I winced remembering the memory.

I quickly followed her idea, and took off my shirt to reveal the many cuts, bruises, and scratches I had gotten there. Everyone gasped when they saw my back. It said 'SON OF POSEIDON, TARTARUS' in bigger letters, and a bunch of other things that had been carved into my skin. "Now you see, Luke. Percy never abused me. In fact, I would have fallen into Tartarus alone, if it weren't for him." Annabeth told him. She leaned closer and spoke in a deathly quiet voice that seemed to ring around the clearing, "Learn to treat him with respect. Percy is the greatest hero Olympus has ever had, and ever will."

And with that, she pulled away, and looked into my eyes. Her eyes were conveying one clear message: _Your cabin. Now._ I nodded, and we left hand in hand, leaving everyone to wonder what happened.

When we reached my cabin, I lay down on the bed, while she was in my arms. We didn't talk about what had just happened, we were both too exhausted. With her in my arms, I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Ooh. What just happened? Was the fight scene good enough? Was it realistic enough? I dunno, so it's up to you guys ;) Lol. It's Monday on the other side of the world, so technically, I'm following the schedule.**

**Oh, just so you guys know the idea for the nightmare scene came from One . Direction . Percy . Jackson . 27 (Just remove the space between the letters and the periods.) So, if you really like the scene you should go thank them, because, honestly, I never would've thought to write one xD  
**

**~IllBeThinkinBoutPJOWorldwide**


	7. Leo VI

_**Thalia's POV**_

Alright, so, after the events of last night, this morning was pretty interesting. There was an awkward silence when Percy and Annabeth walked in and sat at the Poseidon table with Percy's dad. Nico was sitting with me, at the Zeus table, and he looked at me in the eyes. We had a conversation, and being the good cousins we are, we decided to break the silence.

"Yo, Percy, my homeboy, my cuzzo, my brother from another mother! What's shakin' with the Jackson bacon?" Nico called out.

Everybody started to laugh at Nico's choice of words. Percy grinned and walked up to us.

"Hello, my lord and lady. How are you this fine morning?" He asked with a British accent and a bow.

"Why, hello, darling," I replied in the same manner, holding out my hand for him to kiss, which he did. "Everything is going quite swimmingly. How are you?"

"The same, milady." Percy smiled.

Nico looked at us, and I could tell in his eyes that it was time to drop the act, and do something that we call 'music time'. I looked at Percy, and saw that he had got the message, also.

"Which song?" I mouthed to them.

Nico answered, "Option twenty." He mouthed back.

Percy and I nodded. Then we burst out into the same song at the same time.

"No, you'll never be alone; when darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars. Hear the whispers in the dark!" We sang, smiling the whole time. **(Skillet FTW! Haha!)**

Then AS started clapping, as the other campers followed her lead. She walked up to us, clapping slowly. "I must admit, you guys have gotten a lot better with your acting," she complimented us, grinning.

I slung my arm around her shoulders, "Thanks, little sis. It means a lot."

She growled and rolled her eyes, "I am not your little sister! I'm older than you, for your information!"

I grinned at her, "Technically, I'm twenty-two, so, I'm older than you."

AS waved her hand in dismissal, "Technicalities," she mumbled.

Percy, Nico, and I gasped. "Who are you, and what have you done with my smartass, nerdy, and awesome soon-to-be-cousin-in-law?" Nico asked.

AS looked up at him, and glared, "Shut up, Nico. You're sooo annoying."

Nico looked down at her and smirked evilly, "No can-do, princess. You're family, and I am especially annoying to my family. Plus, I'm taller than you."

Nico was telling the truth. Annabeth was shorter than most people, I think she might've shrunk or something.

She huffed in annoyance, and then a sickly sweet smile spread across her face. Oh, no, I know that look. I glanced at Percy, and he was smirking, probably thinking about the possibilities Annabeth would do.

"Hey, Nico, look behind you." She told him. Like a fool, Nico did. Gods, I'm going to have to teach that boy a lesson. AS then jumped on Nico's back and shouted, "Onward, trusty demigod!"

Nico knew better than to deny Annabeth, so he did as he was told, and ran around the dining pavilion with campers and Annabeth laughing. Percy strode to me, and stood next to me. "Di Angelo better not steal my girl," he joked.

I laughed, "You ain't got nothing to worry about, Perce."

He smirked, "I know, he's got nothing on these bad boys," he struck a pose, showing off his muscles.

"You keep telling yourself that, Jackson!" AS shouted, still riding on Nico's back.

Percy pouted, but kept silent. Chiron then stood up, and pounded his hoof on the floor to gain everyone's attention.

"Demigods! Settle down. Today, we shall continue with the reading, if certain demigods can avoid fighting." He gave a pointed look toward Luke and Percy.

Percy groaned, while Luke sneered. "What's the matter, Jackson? You think you're too perfect to get in trouble?"

Percy just simply rolled his eyes, while Nico shouted at Luke, "Save it, Castellan."

Chiron nodded at Nico in approval, and continued speaking. Soon after we were dismissed, and I noticed little Annabeth was awfully quiet, so I walked over to her.

"Hey, kiddo," I started the conversation, "why so quiet?"

"Thalia," she sighed, "I don't understand what's going on."

I smirked, "That's a first, but don't worry about it. Fish Boy is gonna remain calm, while Castellan is gonna keep his mouth shut, or else he'll have an oracle, satyr, god, and four powerful demigods after him."

She looked up at me, and I could see anger in her eyes, "What's the matter with you, Thalia? I know Luke caused a commotion last night, but that was a onetime thing. You two were best friends, and now you're acting hostile towards him."

I groaned, "There's more to a person then what meets the eye, Annabeth." I could tell she was about to defend him, but I walked away, and went over to Percy and Nico, who was still carrying AS.

"Nico, put me down," AS complained.

"No, you jumped onto my back, so, I am not letting you down till I feel like it." Nico stated firmly.

"Perrrcy, tell him to put me down," AS begged.

"Put her down, Nico." Percy told him, smirking.

Nico nodded and dropped AS. She landed on her feet, and ran into Percy's arms.

"Aww, aren't you two adorable," A voice said from behind. I turned and saw Rachel there, smiling at Percabeth.

"I know, right?" Grover asked, coming up.

"Come on, guys, I'd love to continue talking about how perfect they are, but we've got a chapter to read." Nico stated, walking away. We followed him, and walked into the small clearing to see everyone waiting for us. Smiling sheepishly, we sat down, and waited for them to begin reading.

"Okay, then," Clarisse grumbled, taking the book, "**Leo VI,"**

**Riding Arion was the best thing that had happened to Leo all day—which wasn't saying much, since his day had sucked.**

"If only Arion could hear that," Poseidon chuckled.

"I would have to wash out my ears after hearing such offensive language," Percy winced.

**The horse's hooves turned the surface of the lake to salty mist. Leo put his hand against the horse's side and felt the muscles working like a well-oiled machine. For the first time, he understood why car engines were measured in horsepower. Arion was a four-legged Maserati.**

"That he is." Poseidon said, fondly.

**Ahead of them lay an island—a line of sand so white, it might have been pure table salt. Behind that rose an expanse of grassy dunes and weathered boulders.**

**Leo sat behind Hazel, one arm around her waist. The close contact made him a little uncomfortable, but it was the only way he could stay on board (or whatever you called it with a horse).**

The Aphrodite cabin giggled.

"I'm sure that's the only reason," Silena smirked.

**Before they left, Percy had pulled him aside to tell him Hazel's story. Percy made it sound like he was just doing Leo a favor, but there'd been an undertone like If you mess with my friend, I will personally feed you to a great white shark.**

"Jeez, Perce, you're too overprotective." Grover laughed.

Rachel smacked him on his head, "That's part of his flaw, Goat Boy! Personal loyalty, remember?"

The half-bloods all laughed, while Grover rubbed the back of his head, "I remember, Rach, but was that really necessary?"

"Yes." Thalia and AS spoke at the same time.

**According to Percy, Hazel was a daughter of Pluto. She'd died in the 1940s and been brought back to life only a few months ago.**

"So, she's Nico's half-sister?" Annabeth questioned.

"Mhmm, another addition to the family." Percy replied distracted.

I sighed, "What are you thinking about, Percy?"

Percy replied, still in a daze, "Uh, tacos."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, gods, seriously?" Turning to look at AS, "Annabeth, why didn't you teach your boyfriend better?"

She raised her hands defensively, "Hey, it's not my fault he turned out like this."

"Yes, it is." Rachel, Poseidon, Grover, Nico, and I replied.

All we got was a glare in response.

**Leo found that hard to believe. Hazel seemed warm and very alive, not like the ghosts or the other reborn mortals Leo had tangled with.**

**She seemed good with people, too, unlike Leo, who was much more comfortable with machines. Living stuff, like horses and girls? He had no idea what made them work.**

**Hazel was also Frank's girlfriend, so Leo knew he should keep his distance. Still, her hair smelled good, and riding with her made his heart race almost against his will. It must've been the speed of the horse.**

Percy finally snapped out of his taco dream, "Sure, it is, Leo. Sure, it is."

**Arion thundered onto the beach. He stomped his hooves and whinnied triumphantly, like Coach Hedge yelling a battle cry.**

"Or Tyson," Nico mused.

Rachel, AS, Percy, Nico, Grover, and I then shouted at the same time, "PEANUT BUTTER!"

"Mind explaining why you did that?" Chris asked.

"That's Percy's brother's war cry." AS explained.

"Oh," Most of the campers finally understood.

**Hazel and Leo dismounted. Arion pawed the sand.**

"**He needs to eat," Hazel explained. "He likes gold, but—"**

"**Gold?" Leo asked.**

"**He'll settle for grass. Go on, Arion. Thanks for the ride. I'll call you."**

**Just like that, the horse was gone—nothing left but a steaming trail across the lake.**

"**Fast horse," Leo said, "and expensive to feed."**

"**Not really," Hazel said. "Gold is easy for me."**

**Leo raised his eyebrows. "How is gold easy? Please tell me you're not related to King Midas. I don't like that guy."**

"She's not." Nico told the campers.

**Hazel pursed her lips, as if she regretted raising the subject. "Never mind."**

**That made Leo even more curious, but he decided it might be better not to press her. He knelt and cupped a handful of white sand. "Well…one problem solved, anyway. This is lime."**

**Hazel frowned. "The whole beach?"**

"**Yeah. See? The granules are perfectly round. It's not really sand. It's calcium carbonate." Leo pulled a Ziploc bag from his tool belt and dug his hand into the lime.**

**Suddenly he froze. He remembered all the times the earth goddess Gaea had appeared to him in the ground—her sleeping face made of dust or sand or dirt. She loved to taunt him. He imagined her closed eyes and her dreaming smile swirling in the white calcium.**

"Don't think like that!" Will shouted.

**Walk away, little hero, Gaea said. Without you, the ship cannot be fixed.**

"**Leo?" Hazel asked. "You okay?"**

**He took a shaky breath. Gaea wasn't here. He was just freaking himself out.**

"**Yeah," he said. "Yeah, fine."**

**He started to fill the bag.**

**Hazel knelt next to him and helped. "We should've brought a pail and shovels."**

**The idea cheered Leo up. He even smiled. "We could've made a sand castle."**

"**A lime castle."**

**Their eyes locked for a second too long.**

"And then they leaned in and kissed!" Katie tried finishing for Clarisse.

"That's not what it says, Gardener."

There were many disappointed sighs.

**Hazel looked away. "You are so much like—"**

"**Sammy?" Leo guessed.**

**She fell backward.**

Travis, Connor, Chris, Will, Malcolm, Percy, Grover, and Nico laughed at that.

"**You know?"**

"**I have no idea who Sammy is. But Frank asked me if I was sure that wasn't my name."**

"**And … it isn't?"**

"**No! Jeez."**

"**You don't have a twin brother or …" Hazel stopped. "Is your family from New Orleans?"**

"**Nah. Houston. Why? Is Sammy a guy you used to know?"**

"**I … It's nothing. You just look like him."**

**Leo could tell she was too embarrassed to say more. But if Hazel was a kid from the past, did that mean Sammy was from the 1940s? If so, how could Frank know the guy?**

"I dunno." Chris answered.

**And why would Hazel think Leo was Sammy, all these decades later?**

"The question shall be answered soon!" Nico informed them.

**They finished filling the bag in silence. Leo stuffed it in his tool belt and the bag vanished—no weight, no mass, no volume—though Leo knew it would be there as soon as he reached for it. Anything that could fit into the pockets, Leo could tote around. He loved his tool belt. He just wished the pockets were large enough for a chain saw, or maybe a bazooka.**

"I like this kid," An Ares camper grinned.

"Violence! Violence!" Another cheered.

**He stood and scanned the island—bleach-white dunes, blankets of grass, and boulders encrusted with salt like frosting. "Festus said there was Celestial bronze close by, but I'm not sure where—"**

"**That way." Hazel pointed up the beach. "About five hundred yards."**

"**How do you—?"**

"**Precious metals," Hazel said. "It's a Pluto thing."**

**Leo remembered what she'd said about gold being easy. "Handy talent. Lead the way, Miss Metal Detector."**

"Ah, so now we have Seaweed Brain, Wise Girl, Goat Boy, Pinecone Face, Death Breath, Sparky, Beauty Queen, Repair Boy, and Miss Metal Detector!" I called out happily.

"Cheers to another nickname!" Percy exclaimed.

"Huzzah!" We, the futures, said.

**The sun began to set. The sky turned a bizarre mix of purple and yellow. In another reality, Leo might've enjoyed a walk on the beach with a pretty girl, but the farther they went, the edgier he felt. Finally Hazel turned inland.**

"**You sure this is a good idea?" he asked.**

"**We're close," she promised. "Come on."**

**Just over the dunes, they saw the woman.**

"Woman?" Malcolm inquired.

"Yes, a woman." Luke said dryly.

Malcolm rolled her eyes, while Annabeth shot her second-in-command a disapproving look. If only that kid would understand, I thought.

**She sat on a boulder in the middle of a grassy field. A black-and-chrome motorcycle was parked nearby, but each of the wheels had a big pie slice removed from the spokes and rim, so that they resembled Pac-Men. No way was the bike drivable in that condition.**

**The woman had curly black hair and a bony frame. She wore black leather biker's pants, tall leather boots, and a bloodred leather jacket—sort of a Michael Jackson joins the Hell's Angels look. Around her feet, the ground was littered with what looked like broken shells. She was hunched over, pulling new ones out of a sack and cracking them open. Shucking oysters? Leo wasn't sure if there were oysters in the Great Salt Lake. He didn't think so.**

"There aren't," Poseidon confirmed.

**He wasn't anxious to approach. He'd had bad experiences with strange ladies. His old babysitter, Tía Callida, had turned out to be Hera and had a nasty habit of putting him down for naps in a blazing fireplace.**

"What?" Most of the demigods asked, amazed.

"Hera's not the most appreciated goddess to us." Nico stated.

**The earth goddess Gaea had killed his mother in a workshop fire when Leo was eight. The snow goddess Khione had tried to turn him into a frozen dairy treat in Sonoma.**

**But Hazel forged ahead, so he didn't have much choice except to follow.**

**As they got closer, Leo noticed disturbing details. Attached to the woman's belt was a curled whip. Her red-leather jacket had a subtle design to it—twisted branches of an apple tree populated with skeletal birds. The oysters she was shucking were actually fortune cookies.**

"Nemesis." Annabeth told everyone. They nodded in understanding.

**A pile of broken cookies lay ankle-deep all around her. She kept pulling new ones from her sack, cracking them open, and reading the fortunes. Most she tossed aside. A few made her mutter unhappily. She would swipe her finger over the slip of paper like she was smudging it, then magically reseal the cookie and toss it into a nearby basket.**

"**What are you doing?" Leo asked before he could stop himself.**

**The woman looked up. Leo's lungs filled so fast, he thought they might burst.**

"**Aunt Rosa?" he asked.**

"Nah, just a goddess whose Ethan Nakamura's mother." Percy shrugged.

"What?" A voice asked. The owner of a voice stepped forward, and I got the feeling that this was Ethan.

"Ethan?" AS asked.

Ethan nodded, "You said Nemesis is my mother?"

"Yeah, she is. Welcome to the claimed side, my friend." Percy grinned. I gasped when I realized what he was doing. He was trying to reduce the rate of demigods who had fought with Kronos in the Titan War. I smiled approvingly at him, and he smiled back.

Then, Luke stood up, "Listen here, Jackson, I don't know who you think you are, but you cannot dictate who is claimed or not."

Annabeth was nodding as she agreed with Luke.

Then Percy sighed, "I come from the future. I think I would know who's been claimed or not. I know for a fact that Ethan's mother is Nemesis, and all of the people here know it, too." Percy walked over to Luke, and looked him in the eye. "I know you don't see eye to eye with me, but I am honoring an oath that I made to you in the future, Luke Castellan."

Luke sneered, "Yeah, right, like I would fall for your bullshit."

Percy kept looking Luke in the eye and he spoke quietly, "Your role in this upcoming war is an important one. As you were on the brink of life and death, you asked me for one favor. That was to make sure that the upcoming war doesn't happen again. I honor my promises, Luke. I intend on upholding it." And with that, he sat down.

"Continue reading, Clarisse." Annabeth said. I could tell she was in deep thought about Percy's words. Luke sat down reluctantly.

**It didn't make sense, but this woman looked exactly like his aunt. She had the same broad nose with a mole on one side, the same sour mouth and hard eyes. But it couldn't be Rosa. She would never wear clothes like that, and she was still down in Houston, as far as Leo knew. She wouldn't be cracking open fortune cookies in the middle of the Great Salt Lake.**

"**Is that what you see?" the woman asked. "Interesting. And you, Hazel, dear?"**

"**How did you—?" Hazel stepped back in alarm. "You—you look like Mrs. Leer. My third grade teacher. I hated you."**

**The woman cackled. "Excellent. You resented her, eh? She judged you unfairly?"**

"**You—she taped my hands to the desk for misbehaving," Hazel said.**

"I'm glad we don't live in Hazel's time period." Travis laughed. Most of the Hermes campers agreed with him.

"**She called my mother a witch. She blamed me for everything I didn't do and— No. She has to be dead. Who are you?"**

"**Oh, Leo knows," the woman said. "How do you feel about Aunt Rosa, mijo?"**

**Mijo. That's what Leo's mom had always called him. After his mom died, Rosa had rejected Leo. She'd called him a devil child. She'd blamed him for the fire that had killed her sister. Rosa had turned his family against him and left him—a scrawny orphaned eight-year-old—at the mercy of social services. Leo had bounced around from foster home to foster home until he'd finally found a home at Camp Half-Blood. Leo didn't hate many people, but after all these years, Aunt Rosa's face made him boil with resentment.**

**How did he feel? He wanted to get even. He wanted revenge.**

"Tsk, tsk, Leo. Revenge isn't always the answer." Connor chided the book.

**His eyes drifted to the motorcycle with the Pac-Man wheels. Where had he seen something like that before? Cabin 16, back at Camp Half-Blood—the symbol above their door was a broken wheel.**

"Cabin 16?" A Hephaestus camper asked.

I spoke up, before Percy could, "As a result of the upcoming war, Percy was offered to become an immortal god," A lot of gasps and eyebrows were raised. I waited till they settled down, then I resumed speaking. "He refused." More gasps. "Instead he had the gods swear on the River Styx to claim their children by age thirteen, and to honor the other gods with cabins at Camp Half-Blood. He also insisted that Hades have an honorary cabin." I told the campers proudly.

Percy put his head in his hands and groaned. "Just please start reading."

"**Nemesis," he said. "You're the goddess of revenge."**

"Smart Leo," Grover commented.

"**You see?" The goddess smiled at Hazel. "He recognizes me."**

**Nemesis cracked another cookie and wrinkled her nose. "You will have great fortune when you least expect it," she read. "That's exactly the sort of nonsense I hate. Someone opens a cookie, and suddenly they have a prophecy that they'll be rich! I blame that tramp Tyche. Always dispensing good luck to people who don't deserve it!"**

"Tramp Tyche," Will laughed.

**Leo looked at the mound of broken cookies. "Uh … you know those aren't real prophecies, right? They're just stuffed in the cookies at some factory—"**

"**Don't try to excuse it!" Nemesis snapped. "It's just like Tyche to get people's hopes up. No, no. I must counter her." Nemesis flicked a finger over the slip of paper, and the letters changed to red. "You will die painfully when you most expect it. There! Much better."**

"Damn, that's harsh." Beckendorf noted.

"**That's horrible!" Hazel said. **

"I agree with Hazel," Rachel commented.

**"You'd let someone read that in their fortune cookie, and it would come true?"**

**Nemesis sneered. It really was creepy, seeing that expression on Aunt Rosa's face. "My dear Hazel, haven't you ever wished horrible things on Mrs. Leer for the way she treated you?"**

"**That doesn't mean I'd want them to come true!"**

"**Bah." The goddess resealed the cookie and tossed it in her basket. "Tyche would be Fortuna for you, I suppose, being Roman. Like the others, she's in a horrible way right now. Me? I'm not affected. I am called Nemesis in both Greek and Roman. I do not change, because revenge is universal."**

"That's quite a warm and fuzzy thought." Nico said cheerily.

"I know, right?" Percy replied in a voice that he uses when gossiping.

"**What are you talking about?" Leo asked. "What are you doing here?"**

**Nemesis opened another cookie. "Lucky numbers. Ridiculous! That's not even a proper fortune!" She crushed the cookie and scattered the pieces around her feet.**

"**To answer your question, Leo Valdez, the gods are in terrible shape. It always happens when a civil war is brewing between you Romans and Greeks. The Olympians are torn between their two natures, called on by both sides. They become quite schizophrenic, I'm afraid. Splitting headaches. Disorientation."**

AS winced, probably remembering what her mother told her.

"**But we're not at war," Leo insisted.**

"**Um, Leo …" Hazel winced. "Except for the fact that you recently blew up large sections of New Rome."**

"THIS IS WAR!" The Ares cabin shouted. I rolled my eyes at them, idiots.

**Leo stared at her, wondering whose side she was on. "Not on purpose!"**

"**I know …" Hazel said, "but the Romans don't realize that. And they'll be pursuing us in retaliation."**

**Nemesis cackled. "Leo, listen to the girl. War is coming. Gaea has seen to it, with your help. And can you guess whom the gods blame for their predicament?"**

**Leo's mouth tasted like calcium carbonate. "Me."**

**The goddess snorted. "Well, don't you have a high opinion of yourself.**

Annabeth's eyebrows raised, but she didn't say anything.

**You're just a pawn on the chessboard, Leo Valdez.**

"Like Percy, he's been called a pawn for the Olympians!" Nico exclaimed, happily.

"The only difference, though," I started.

"Is that he is the greatest pawn of the Olympians to live." AS finished.

"Aww, thanks guys." Percy said sarcastically.

"No problem!" We told him cheerfully, completely ignoring his sarcasm.

**I was referring to the player who set this ridiculous quest in motion, bringing the Greeks and Romans together. The gods blame Hera—or Juno, if you prefer!**

"Yeah," AS muttered, "I blame her, too."

**The queen of the heavens has fled Olympus to escape the wrath of her family. Don't expect any more help from your patron!"**

**Leo's head throbbed. He had mixed feelings about Hera. She'd meddled in his life since he was a baby, molding him to serve her purpose in this big prophecy, but at least she had been on their side, more or less. If she was out of the picture now …**

"**So why are you here?" he asked.**

"**Why, to offer my help!" Nemesis smiled wickedly.**

"Come on, Nemesis. Why do you have to make their quest harder?" Poseidon moaned.

**Leo glanced at Hazel. She looked like she'd just been offered a free snake.**

"**Your help," Leo said.**

"**Of course!" said the goddess. "I enjoy tearing down the proud and powerful, and there are none who deserve tearing down like Gaea and her giants.**

Nico nodded in agreement.

**Still, I must warn you that I will not suffer undeserved success. Good luck is a sham. The wheel of fortune is a Ponzi scheme. True success requires sacrifice."**

"**Sacrifice?" Hazel's voice was tight. "I lost my mother. I died and came back. Now my brother is missing. Isn't that enough sacrifice for you?"**

"She's been through enough." Katie said firmly.

**Leo could totally relate. He wanted to scream that he'd lost his mom too. His whole life had been one misery after another. He'd lost his dragon, Festus. He'd nearly killed himself trying to finish the Argo II. Now he'd fired on the Roman camp, most likely started a war, and maybe lost the trust of his friends.**

"**Right now," he said, trying to control his anger, "all I want is some Celestial bronze."**

"**Oh, that's easy," Nemesis said. "It's just over the rise. You'll find it with the sweethearts."**

"Uh, sweethearts?" Connor asked.

"**Wait," Hazel said. "What sweethearts?"**

**Nemesis popped a cookie in her mouth and swallowed it, fortune and all. "You'll see. Perhaps they will teach you a lesson, Hazel Levesque. Most heroes cannot escape their nature, even when given a second chance at life." She smiled. "And speaking of your brother Nico, you don't have much time. Let's see … it's June twenty-fifth? Yes, after today, six more days. Then he dies, along with the entire city of Rome."**

"Yeah," Nico winced, "not the best time of my life."

**Hazel's eyes widened. "How … what—?"**

"**And as for you, child of fire." She turned to Leo. "Your worst hardships are yet to come. You will always be the outsider, the seventh wheel. You will not find a place among your brethren. Soon you will face a problem you cannot solve, though I could help you … for a price."**

"That's a terrible fate to have," Annabeth commented.

"Indeed, it is." Grover said grimly.

**Leo smelled smoke. He realized fingers on his left hand were ablaze, and Hazel was staring at him in terror.**

"FLAME ON!" Nico and Percy shouted. Then they noticed everyone was staring at them.

"What?" Percy asked. "It's Leo's catchphrase."

There were a lot of 'oh' and 'I see' as they understood.

**He shoved his hand in his pocket to extinguish the flames. "I like to solve my own problems."**

"**Very well." Nemesis brushed cookie dust off her jacket.**

"**But, um, what sort of price are we talking about?"**

**The goddess shrugged. "One of my children recently traded an eye for the ability to make a real difference in the world."**

I looked at Ethan as they said this, but he didn't seem to notice.

**Leo's stomach churned. "You … want an eye?"**

"**In your case, perhaps another sacrifice would do. But something just as painful. Here."**

Percy and AS looked down, remembering what they had put everyone through in Tartarus.

**She handed him an unbroken fortune cookie. "If you need an answer, break this. It will solve your problem."**

**Leo's hand trembled as he held the fortune cookie. "What problem?"**

"**You'll know when the time comes."**

"**No, thanks," Leo said firmly. But his hand, as though it had a will of its own, slipped the cookie into his tool belt.**

**Nemesis picked another cookie from her bag and cracked it open. "You will have cause to reconsider your choices soon. Oh, I like that one. No changes needed here."**

**She resealed the cookie and tossed it into the basket. "Very few gods will be able to help you on the quest. Most are already incapacitated, and their confusion will only grow worse. One thing might bring unity to Olympus again—an old wrong finally avenged. Ah, that would be sweet indeed, the scales finally balanced! But it will not happen unless you accept my help."**

"**I suppose you won't tell us what you're talking about," Hazel muttered. "Or why my brother Nico has only six days to live. Or why Rome is going to be destroyed."**

"Nope, because that's just the way the gods work." Malcolm said.

**Nemesis chuckled. She rose and slung her sack of cookies over her shoulder. "Oh, it's all tied together, Hazel Levesque. As for my offer, Leo Valdez, give it some thought. You're a good child. A hard worker. We could do business. But I have detained you too long. You should visit the reflecting pool before the light fades. My poor cursed boy gets quite … agitated when the darkness comes."**

**Leo didn't like the sound of that, but the goddess climbed on her motorcycle. Apparently, it was drivable, despite those Pac-Man–shaped wheels, because Nemesis revved her engine and disappeared in a mushroom cloud of black smoke.**

**Hazel bent down. All the broken cookies and fortunes had disappeared except for one crumpled slip of paper. She picked it up and read, "You will see yourself reflected, and you will have reason to despair."**

"I'm not sure what to say about that." Chris stated.

"Then don't say anything at all," A Demeter camper told him.

"Too late, he already did." Will told her, sticking up for Chris.

"**Fantastic," Leo grumbled. "Let's go see what that means."**

'End of chapter." Clarisse told everyone, then she handed the book to Chris.

"Another chapter down, a lot more to come," I muttered.

* * *

**So, here's the chapter you were expecting yesterday! Sorry about that! I had writer's block, and I was uncertain about what to put in this chapter. Anyways, thank you to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite this story! It means a lot. I think I'll post another chapter today, just as an apology for everyone. Check back later for the chapter. :D**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWOrldwide**


	8. Leo VII

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Leo VII," **Chris started.

"**Who is Aunt Rosa?" Hazel asked.**

"Yeah, get right to the point, Hazel." Thalia grinned.

**Leo didn't want to talk about her. Nemesis's words were still buzzing in his ears. His tool belt seemed heavier since he'd put the cookie in there—which was impossible. Its pockets could carry anything without adding extra weight. Even the most fragile things would never break. Still, Leo imagined he could feel it in there, dragging him down, waiting to be cracked open.**

"**Long story," he said. "She abandoned me after my mom died, gave me to foster care."**

"What a nice lady," Travis commented sarcastically.

"**I'm sorry."**

"**Yeah, well …" Leo was anxious to change the subject. "What about you? What Nemesis said about your brother?"**

"Now we get to see what she thinks about Edward." Percy grinned.

"Edward?" Grover asked.

"Well, you see Nico is pale; Edward is pale. Nico has messy hair; Edward has messy hair. Nico reminds me of a vampire; Edward is a vampire. Hence, the nickname, Edward." Percy explained.

Nico smirked, "So, you watch Twilight?"

Percy shook his head, "No, I just happen to know what he looks like."

The characters from the future smirked at Percy. "But Perce," Rachel started, "how would you know what he looks like if you don't watch Twilight?"

Percy swore in Ancient Greek as he realized he had trapped himself, "Fine," he sighed. "I do watch Twilight."

"I knew it!" AS exclaimed, smiling smugly. "You said all those Twilight movies in your room were Sally's, but I never believed it!"

All the campers burst out laughing at Percy's discomfort. "Oh, gods, Perce, I never knew you were a sucker for werewolves and vampires." Thalia gasped out.

"Shut up!" He replied, "Please continue reading."

"We'll continue reading, but this is soooo gonna be on the list of blackmail we have for you." Nico grinned evilly.

Percy groaned, but Chris resumed reading.

**Hazel blinked like she'd gotten salt in her eyes. "Nico … he found me in the Underworld. He brought me back to the mortal world and convinced the Romans at Camp Jupiter to accept me. I owe him for my second chance at life. If Nemesis is right, and Nico's in danger … I have to help him."**

"Aww, Nico's being a good little big brother." Silena cooed.

Nico blushed, and everyone, including Luke laughed.

"**Sure," Leo said, though the idea made him uneasy. He doubted the revenge goddess ever gave advice out of the goodness of her heart.**

"**And what Nemesis said about your brother having six days to live, and Rome getting destroyed … any idea what she meant?"**

"**None," Hazel admitted. "But I'm afraid …"**

**Whatever she was thinking, she decided not to share it.**

"She should've shared it." Annabeth frowned.

**She climbed one of the largest boulders to get a better view. Leo tried to follow and lost his balance. Hazel caught his hand. She pulled him up and they found themselves atop the rock, holding hands, face-to-face.**

"And then they kissed!" Katie tried again.

Chris sighed, "No, Katie. They didn't kiss." Then under his breath he muttered, "You're starting to become an Aphrodite girl."

"Hey!" Katie glared at him. "I heard that, Rodriguez!"

Chris ignored her, and continued reading.

**Hazel's eyes glittered like gold.**

**Gold is easy, she'd said. It didn't seem that way to Leo—not when he looked at her. He wondered who Sammy was. Leo had a nagging suspicion that he should know, but he just couldn't place the name. Whoever he was, he was lucky if Hazel cared for him.**

"**Um, thanks." He let go of her hand, but they were still standing so close, he could feel the warmth of her breath. She definitely didn't seem like a dead person.**

"**When we were talking to Nemesis," Hazel said uneasily, "your hands … I saw flames."**

"**Yeah," he said. "It's a Hephaestus power. Usually I can keep it under control."**

"**Oh." She put one hand protectively on her denim shirt, like she was about to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Leo got the feeling she wanted to back away from him, but the boulder was too small.**

"Rejected," The Stolls sang.

_**Great**_**, he thought. **_**Another person who thinks I'm a scary freak.**_

"Yeah, because lots of people think that," Poseidon joked.

**He gazed across the island. The opposite shore was only a few hundred yards away. Between here and there were dunes and clumps of boulders, but nothing that looked like a reflecting pool.**

**You will always be the outsider, Nemesis had told him, the seventh wheel. You will not find a place among your brethren.**

"He has a place among us," AS argued.

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "He's the joker who makes us feel better whenever we're down."

Nico and Thalia nodded.

**She might as well have poured acid in his ears. Leo didn't need anybody to tell him he was odd man out. He'd spent months alone in Bunker 9 at Camp Half-Blood, working on his ship while his friends trained together and shared meals and played capture-the-flag for fun and prizes. Even his two best friends, Piper and Jason, often treated him like an outsider. Since they'd started dating, their idea of "quality time" didn't include Leo.**

Percy and AS looked down guiltily.

**His only other friend, Festus the dragon, had been reduced to a figurehead when his control disk had gotten destroyed on their last adventure. Leo didn't have the technical skill to repair it.**

"We'll help him repair it." A Hephaestus camper told the book.

**The seventh wheel. Leo had heard of a fifth wheel—an extra, useless piece of equipment. He figured a seventh wheel was worse.**

**He'd thought maybe this quest would be a fresh start for him. All his hard work on the Argo II would pay off. He'd have six good friends who would admire and appreciate him, and they'd go sailing off into the sunrise to fight giants.**

AS and Percy chuckled.

"And that we did." Percy laughed.

"Though not exactly how Leo pictured it." AS added.

**Maybe, Leo secretly hoped, he'd even find a girlfriend.**

**Do the math, he chided himself.**

"I love math," Malcolm stated dreamily.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Clarisse muttered.

**Nemesis was right. He might be part of a group of seven, but he was still isolated. He had fired on the Romans and brought his friends nothing but trouble. You will not find a place among your brethren.**

"Aw, c'mon, Leo. Don't think that way." Will pleaded.

"**Leo?" Hazel asked gently. "You can't take what Nemesis said to heart."**

**He frowned. "What if it's true?"**

"**She's the goddess of revenge," Hazel reminded him. "Maybe she's on our side, maybe not; but she exists to stir up resentment."**

"That's very true, Hazel." Poseidon told the book.

"Er, dad?" Percy asked.

"Yes, son?"

"You're talking to a, um, book." Percy stated nervously.

Poseidon stared at Percy for a few moments, and then he began to laugh. "Do you not think I do not know this?" He gasped, while wiping tears out of his eyes.

"Yes? No? I, uh, I don't know." Percy smiled sheepishly.

Poseidon just chuckled, and motioned for Chris to keep reading.

"**We should keep going," he said. "I wonder what Nemesis meant about finishing before dark."**

**Hazel glanced at the sun, which was just touching the horizon. "And who is the cursed boy she mentioned?"**

**Below them, a voice said, "Cursed boy she mentioned."**

"Oh, no, now Leo's lost it." Will moaned.

**At first, Leo saw no one. Then his eyes adjusted. He realized a young woman was standing only ten feet from the base of the boulder. Her dress was a Greek-style tunic the same color as the rocks. Her wispy hair was somewhere between brown and blond and gray, so it blended with the dry grass. She wasn't invisible, exactly, but she was almost perfectly camouflaged until she moved. Even then, Leo had trouble focusing on her. Her face was pretty but not memorable. In fact, each time Leo blinked, he couldn't remember what she looked like, and he had to concentrate to find her again.**

"Ah, Echo." Malcolm concluded.

Annabeth nodded in agreement.

"**Hello," Hazel said. "Who are you?"**

"**Who are you?" the girl answered. Her voice sounded weary, like she was tired of answering that question.**

"Way to avoid a question." Nico commented.

**Hazel and Leo exchanged looks. With this demigod gig, you never knew what you'd run into. Nine times out of ten, it wasn't good. A ninja girl camouflaged in earth tones didn't strike Leo as something he wanted to deal with just then.**

"A ninja girl!" A Hermes camper shouted.

"So cool!" Another one followed.

Percy, Grover, and Thalia snickered, remembering what Nico's reaction had been after he had watched the orientation film.

AS seemed to notice this, "What're you laughing at?"

"Oh, nothing," Grover said casually, "just remembering Nico's reaction after he found out he was a half-blood."

Nico went even paler, if that's possible.

"What'd he do?" Rachel smirked. Nico glared at her, but she just stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, he came running out of the Big House and yelled 'SO COOL!' before calling Dionysus the 'wine dude' and asking him how many hit points he had." Thalia explained, and Percy couldn't hold it in anymore. He fell over laughing, causing most of the half-bloods to start laughing at him.

When everyone was situated and breathing normally, Chris began reading again.

"**Are you the cursed kid Nemesis mentioned?" Leo asked. "But you're a girl."**

"**You're a girl," said the girl.**

"**Excuse me?" Leo said.**

"No, please don't make me laugh," Travis moaned, chuckling.

"It hurts too much." Connor added, also moaning.

"**Excuse me," the girl said miserably.**

"**You're repeating …" Leo stopped. "Oh. Hold it. Hazel, wasn't there some myth about a girl who repeated everything—?"**

"**Echo," Hazel said.**

"Leo actually knows his mythology." Thalia said, impressed.

"**Echo," the girl agreed. She shifted, her dress changing with the landscape. Her eyes were the color of the salt water. Leo tried to home in on her features, but he couldn't.**

"**I don't remember the myth," he admitted. "You were cursed to repeat the last thing you heard?"**

"**You heard," Echo said.**

"**Poor thing," Hazel said. "If I remember right, a goddess did this?"**

"**A goddess did this," Echo confirmed.**

"Which goddess?" An Apollo camper asked.

"Hera." Annabeth replied.

"Makes sense," Thalia mumbled. Thunder rumbled on the cloudless day. "What?" She shouted at the sky, "It's true!"

Nico, Rachel, AS, Grover and Percy all gave her a high-five.

**Leo scratched his head. "But wasn't that thousands of years … oh. You're one of the mortals who came back through the Doors of Death. I really wish we could stop running into dead people."**

"Knowing your luck, not gonna happen." Rachel grinned.

"**Dead people," Echo said, like she was chastising him.**

**He realized Hazel was staring at her feet.**

"**Uh … sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean it that way."**

"**That way." Echo pointed toward the far shore of the island.**

"**You want to show us something?" Hazel asked. She climbed down the boulder, and Leo followed.**

"They're off to follow Echo, the wonderful nymph named Echo!" Travis and Connor sang.

**Even up close, Echo was hard to see. In fact, she seemed to get more invisible the longer he looked at her.**

"**You sure you're real?" he asked. "I mean … flesh and blood?"**

"**Flesh and blood." She touched Leo's face and made him flinch. Her fingers were warm.**

"**So … you have to repeat everything?" he asked.**

"**Everything."**

**Leo couldn't help smiling.**

Annabeth groaned, "Seriously Leo?" The eleven-year old had an idea of what Leo was about to do.

"**That could be fun."**

"**Fun," she said unhappily.**

"**Blue elephants."**

"**Blue elephants."**

"**Kiss me, you fool."**

"**You fool."**

"Rejected, once again." Chris laughed.

"Leo is such a ladies' man." Luke smirked.

The Stolls laughed. "Too much of a ladies' man," Connor started.

"Yeah, it seems as if all the girls know to stay away from him." Travis finished.

Everyone shook their heads at the Hermes campers. The people from the future shared a look.

_Slowly, but surely, Luke's changing._

"**Hey!"**

"**Hey!"**

"**Leo," Hazel pleaded, "don't tease her."**

'Yeah, that was mean." Katie frowned.

"**Don't tease her," Echo agreed.**

"**Okay, okay," Leo said, though he had to resist the urge. It wasn't every day he met somebody with a built-in talkback feature. "So what were you pointing at? Do you need our help?"**

"**Help," Echo agreed emphatically.**

**She gestured for them to follow and sprinted down the slope. Leo could only follow her progress by the movement of the grass and the shimmer of her dress as it changed to match the rocks.**

"**We'd better hurry," Hazel said. "Or we'll lose her."**

**They found the problem—if you can call a mob of good-looking girls a problem.**

"They are if you're Percy." Thalia grinned.

"Oh, gods, will you ever let me live that down?" Percy complained.

"Am I missing something here?" AS asked, amused.

"No, you're not." Percy rushed.

Thalia glared at Percy, "I'll tell you guys later."

**Echo led them down into a grassy meadow shaped like a blast crater, with a small pond in the middle. Gathered at the water's edge were several dozen nymphs. At least, Leo guessed they were nymphs. Like the ones at Camp Half-Blood, these wore gossamer dresses. Their feet were bare. They had elfish features, and their skin had a slightly greenish tinge.**

**Leo didn't understand what they were doing, but they were all crowded together in one spot, facing the pond and jostling for a better view. Several held up phone cameras, trying to get a shot over the heads of the others. Leo had never seen nymphs with phones. He wondered if they were looking at a dead body. If so, why were they bouncing up and down and giggling so excitedly?**

"Because, they're obviously fangirling." Nico scoffed.

"Over a dead body." Travis added, grinning.

"Exactly. Dead bodies are the new craze these days." Nico joked.

"**What are they looking at?" Leo wondered.**

"**Looking at," Echo sighed.**

"**One way to find out." Hazel marched forward and began nudging her way through the crowd. "Excuse us. Pardon me."**

"**Hey!" one nymph complained. "We were here first!"**

"**Yeah," another sniffed. "He won't be interested in you."**

**The second nymph had large red hearts painted on her cheeks. Over her dress, she wore a T-shirt that read: OMG, I 3 N!**

"Nico's got fangirls." Rachel teased.

"Hey! N could be anybody." Nico exclaimed.

"Deathy's got a point, so let's continue reading to find out." Clarisse told them, bored.

"**Uh, demigod business," Leo said, trying to sound official. "Make room. Thanks."**

**The nymphs grumbled, but they parted to reveal a young man kneeling at the edge of the pond, gazing intently at the water.**

**Leo usually didn't pay much attention to how other guys looked. He supposed that came from hanging around Jason—tall, blond, rugged, and basically everything Leo could never be.**

"We really need to boost up Leo's self-esteem when we get back." Thalia winced.

"Yeah, poor kid doesn't think much of himself." Percy stated, sympathetically.

**Leo was used to not being noticed by girls. At least, he knew he'd never get a girl by his looks. He hoped his personality and sense of humor would do that someday, though it definitely hadn't worked yet.**

**At any rate, Leo couldn't miss the fact that the guy at the pond was one super good-looking dude. He had a chiseled face with lips and eyes that were somewhere between feminine beautiful and masculine handsome. Dark hair swept over his brow. He might've been seventeen or twenty, it was hard to say, but he was built like a dancer—** **with long graceful arms and muscular legs, perfect posture and an air of regal calm. He wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with a bow and quiver strapped to his back. The weapons obviously hadn't been used in a while. The arrows were covered in dust. A spider had woven a web in the top of the bow.**

The Athena cabin grimaced at the word 'spider'.

**As Leo edged closer, he realized the guy's face was unusually golden. In the sunset, the light was bouncing off a large flat sheet of Celestial bronze that lay at the bottom of the pond, washing Mr. Handsome's features in a warm glow.**

"Ah," The Athena cabin realized who Mr. Handsome was.

**The guy seemed fascinated with his reflection in the metal.**

**Hazel inhaled sharply. "He's gorgeous."**

"Not as gorgeous as Percy, apparently." Thalia smirked.

"Thalia, if you keep this up, I'm gonna start assuming this is your way of hitting on Percy." AS joked.

Thalia laughed, "It'll make sense once I tell you the story."

**Around her, the nymphs squealed and clapped in agreement.**

"**I am," the young man murmured dreamily, his gaze still fixed on the water. "I am so gorgeous."**

Nico snorted, "Narcissistic, much?"

AS laughed at Nico's unintentional pun.

"What's so funny?" he asked her.

She waved her hand in dismissal, "You'll find out in a moment."

**One of the nymphs showed her iPhone screen. "His latest YouTube video got a million hits in like, an hour. I think I was half of those!"**

**The other nymphs giggled.**

"**YouTube video?" Leo asked. "What does he do in the video, sing?"**

"**No, silly!" the nymph chided. "He used to be a prince, and a wonderful hunter and stuff. But that doesn't matter. Now he just … well, look!" She showed Leo the video. It was exactly what they were seeing in real life—the guy staring at himself in the pond.**

"Best video on the web, right there." Will commented sarcastically.

"**He is sooooo hot!" said another girl. Her T-shirt read: MRS. NARCISSUS.**

"Oh." Nico said, realizing what AS was laughing about. "Oh, I see now."

"**Narcissus?" Leo asked.**

"**Narcissus," Echo agreed sadly.**

**Leo had forgotten Echo was there. Apparently none of the nymphs had noticed her either.**

"**Oh, not you again!" Mrs. Narcissus tried to push Echo away, but she misjudged where the camouflaged girl was and ended up shoving several other nymphs.**

Everyone laughed at that.

"**You had your chance, Echo!" said the nymph with the iPhone. "He dumped you four thousand years ago! You are so not good enough for him."**

"And you are?" Silena questioned the nymph in the book.

"**For him," Echo said bitterly.**

"**Wait." Hazel clearly had trouble tearing her eyes away from the handsome guy, but she managed it. "What's going on here? Why did Echo bring us here?"**

**One nymph rolled her eyes. She was holding an autograph pen and a crumpled poster of Narcissus. "Echo was a nymph like us, a long time ago, but she was a total chatterbox! Gossiping, blah, blah, blah, all the time."**

"**I know!" another nymph shrieked. "Like, who could stand that? Just the other day, I told Cleopeia—you know she lives in the boulder next to me?—I said: Stop gossiping or you'll end up like Echo. Cleopeia is such a big mouth! Did you hear what she said about that cloud nymph and the satyr?"**

"Nymphs and their gossiping." Poseidon laughed.

"**Totally!" said the nymph with the poster. "So anyway, as punishment for blabbing, Hera cursed Echo so she could only repeat things, which was fine with us. But then Echo fell in love with our gorgeous guy, Narcissus—as if he would ever notice her."**

"**As if!" said half a dozen others.**

"**Now she's got some weird idea he needs saving," said Mrs. Narcissus. "She should just go away."**

"**Go away," Echo growled back.**

"You tell 'em, Echo!" A Demeter camper shouted.

"**I'm so glad Narcissus is alive again," said another nymph in a gray dress. She had the words NARCISSUS + LAIEA written up and down her arms in black marker. "He's like the best! And he's in my territory."**

"**Oh, stop it, Laiea," her friend said. "I'm the pond nymph. You're just the rock nymph."**

"**Well, I'm the grass nymph," another protested.**

"**No, he obviously came here because he likes the wildflowers!" another said. "Those are mine!"**

Percy shook his head at the nymph's arguing.

**The whole mob began arguing while Narcissus stared at the lake, ignoring them.**

"**Hold it!" Leo yelled. "Ladies, hold it! I need to ask Narcissus something."**

**Slowly the nymphs settled down and went back to taking pictures.**

**Leo knelt next to the handsome dude. "So, Narcissus. What's up?"**

"**Could you move?" Narcissus asked distractedly. "You're ruining the view."**

"Why, that little-" Rachel started, but Grover interrupted.

"Hey, now, Rach. There's no need for that colorful language." He smirked.

**Leo looked in the water. His own reflection rippled next to Narcissus's on the surface of the submerged bronze. Leo didn't have any desire to stare at himself. Compared to Narcissus, he looked like an undergrown troll.**

**But there was no doubt the metal was a sheet of hammered Celestial bronze, roughly circular, about five feet in diameter.**

**What it was doing in this pond, Leo wasn't sure. Celestial bronze fell to earth in odd places. He'd heard that most pieces were cast off from his dad's various workshops. Hephaestus would lose his temper when projects didn't work out, and he'd toss his scraps into the mortal world. This piece looked like it might have been meant as a shield for a god, but it hadn't turned out properly. If Leo could get it back to the ship, it would be just enough bronze for his repairs.**

"Then let's take it!" Beckendorf exclaimed.

"It won't be that easy, I'm afraid." Percy sighed.

"**Man," Leo said to Narcissus. "You do realize that you're looking at yourself in the water, right?"**

"**I am so great," Narcissus sighed. He stretched out a hand longingly to touch the water, but held back. "No, I can't make ripples. That ruins the image. Wow … I am so great."**

Everyone rolled their eyes at his behavior.

"**Yeah," Leo muttered. "But if I took the bronze, you could still see yourself in the water. Or here …" He reached in his tool belt and pulled out a simple mirror the size of a monocle. "I'll trade you."**

**Narcissus took the mirror, reluctantly, and admired himself. "Even you carry a picture of me? I don't blame you. I am gorgeous. Thank you." He set the mirror down and returned his attention to the pond. "But I already have a much better image. The color flatters me, don't you think?"**

"No." Clarisse stated bluntly.

"**Oh, gods, yes!" a nymph screamed. "Marry me, Narcissus!"**

"**No, me!" another cried. "Would you sign my poster?"**

"**No, sign my shirt!"**

"**No, sign my forehead!"**

"**No, sign my—"**

"**Stop it!" Hazel snapped.**

"Hazel saves the day by shutting up the fangirls!" Percy exclaimed.

"**Stop it," Echo agreed.**

**Leo had lost sight of Echo again, but now he realized she was kneeling on the other side of Narcissus, waving her hand in front of his face as if trying to break his concentration. Narcissus didn't even blink.**

**The nymph fan club tried to shove Hazel out of the way, but she drew her cavalry sword and forced them back. "Snap out of it!" she yelled.**

"**He won't sign your sword," the poster nymph complained.**

"**He won't marry you," said the iPhone girl. "And you can't take his bronze mirror! That's what keeps him here!"**

"**You're all ridiculous," Hazel said. "He's so full of himself! How can you possibly like him?"**

"Thank you, Hazel." A girl from the Apollo cabin mumbled.

"**Like him," Echo sighed, still waving her hand in front of his face.**

**The others sighed along with her.**

"**I am so hot," Narcissus said sympathetically.**

"No, you're an idiot!" an Ares camper shouted. This guy was beginning to get on his and everyone else's nerves.

"**Narcissus, listen." Hazel kept her sword at the ready. "Echo brought us here to help you. Didn't you, Echo?"**

"**Echo," said Echo.**

"**Who?" Narcissus said.**

"**The only girl who cares what happens to you, apparently," Hazel said. "Do you remember dying?"**

**Narcissus frowned. "I … no. That can't be right. I am much too important to die."**

"Yeah, right." Luke scoffed.

"**You died staring at yourself," Hazel insisted. "I remember the story now. Nemesis was the goddess who cursed you, because you broke so many hearts. Your punishment was to fall in love with your own reflection."**

"**I love me so, so much," Narcissus agreed.**

"Yeah, well, we hate you so, so much." Percy muttered under his breath.

"**You finally died," Hazel continued. "I don't know which version of the story is true. You either drowned yourself or turned into a flower hanging over the water or—Echo, which is it?"**

"**Which is it?" she said hopelessly.**

**Leo stood. "It doesn't matter. The point is you're alive again, man. You have a second chance. That's what Nemesis was telling us. You can get up, and get on with your life. Echo is trying to save you. Or you can stay here and stare at yourself until you die again."**

"**Stay here!" all the nymphs screamed.**

"**Marry me before you die!" another squeaked.**

AS rolled her eyes, "Ugh. These nymphs have no idea what true love is."

"And you know this because?" Silena pressed.

AS turned to her, "I think you already know, Silena."

**Narcissus shook his head. "You just want my reflection. I don't blame you, but you can't have it. I belong to me."**

**Hazel sighed in exasperation. She glanced at the sun, which was sinking fast. Then she gestured with her sword toward the edge of the crater. "Leo, could we talk for a minute?"**

"**Excuse us," Leo told Narcissus. "Echo, want to come with?"**

"**Come with," Echo confirmed.**

**The nymphs clustered around Narcissus again and began recording new videos and taking more photos.**

**Hazel led the way until they were out of earshot. "Nemesis was right," she said. "Some demigods can't change their nature. Narcissus is going to stay there until he dies again."**

"Now, that's just sad." Chris sighed.

"**No," Leo said.**

"**No," Echo agreed.**

"**We need that bronze," Leo said. "If we take it away, it might give Narcissus a reason to snap out of it. Echo could have a chance to save him."**

"**A chance to save him," Echo said gratefully.**

"Leo's playing good guy!" Will smiled.

**Hazel stabbed her sword in the sand. "It could also make several dozen nymphs very angry with us," she said. "And Narcissus might still know how to shoot his bow."**

"I'm sure he knows how," Annabeth stated sarcastically.

"Yeah, I mean, it's been what, a couple centuries? I doubt he knows how to even eat anymore." Clarisse grumbled.

**Leo pondered that. The sun was just about down. Nemesis had mentioned that Narcissus got agitated after dark, probably because he couldn't see his reflection anymore. Leo didn't want to stick around long enough to find out what the goddess meant by agitated. He'd also had experience with mobs of crazed nymphs. He wasn't anxious to repeat that.**

"No one would be." Percy winced.

"**Hazel," he said, "your power with precious metal— Can you just detect it, or can you actually summon it to you?"**

**She frowned. "Sometimes I can summon it. I've never tried with a piece of Celestial bronze that big before. I might be able to draw it to me through the earth, but I'd have to be fairly close. It would take a lot of concentration, and it wouldn't be fast."**

"**Be fast," Echo warned.**

"Follow her advice." The Stolls advised.

**Leo cursed. He had hoped they could just go back to the ship, and Hazel could teleport the Celestial bronze from a safe distance.**

"Welcome to the not-so-easy life as a demigod!" Nico grinned.

"**All right," he said. "We'll have to try something risky. Hazel, how about you try to summon the bronze from right here? Make it sink through the sand and tunnel over to you, then grab it and run for the ship."**

"**But Narcissus is looking at it all the time," she said.**

"**All the time," Echo echoed.**

"**That'll be my job," Leo said, hating his own plan already.**

"**Echo and I will cause a distraction."**

"**Distraction?" Echo asked.**

"**I'll explain," Leo promised. "Are you willing?"**

"**Willing," Echo said.**

"**Great," Leo said. "Now, let's hope we don't die."**

"Keep faith, young demigod and nymph!" Travis shouted.

"Alright guys, next chapter goes to Percy." Poseidon said, leaning back, comfortably.

"Okay," Percy shrugged, and picked up the book. Before he could open it, however, a bright light flashed, and out stepped a boy who had dirty blond hair with a gray streak in it, and stormy sea-green eyes. He looked to be about eleven.

He looked around the clearing, taking in his surroundings. When he saw Percy and AS he grinned, and started to say something, but before he could speak, Poseidon cut him off.

"Hi, who are you?" Poseidon asked, kindly.

The boy looked up at him, "You mean you don't recognize me?"

Poseidon shook his head.

"Oh," The boy scratched his head, "I guess I should introduce myself."

"That'd be nice." Thalia said.

The boy smirked at her, "No need to be rude, Thals." He then turned around and bowed to everyone. "Hello, my name is Zhedios Daniel Jackson, son of Percy and Annabeth Jackson."

* * *

**Such a common cliffhanger, I know. Lol, thanks for the support, as always, and have a great day!**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	9. Leo VIII

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

There was a moment of shocked silence, when finally, Percy spoke uncomfortably.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Zhedios laughed, "I'm pretty sure, Dad. I've been living with you for the past eleven years; I know who my mother and father are, especially if they're gods."

This caused a massive uproar in the clearing, "What about gods?"

Zhedios smirked, "Oh, did I forget to mention Mom and Dad had immortality forced upon them because they saved the world twice?"

Thalia's eyes widened, "Yeah, that's something you want to mention!" She turned to Percy and AS, who were staring at Zhedios like they were trying to determine whether or not he was lying. "You two, did you hear that last part?"

AS turned to her, "The part where he told us we're his parents?"

"No," Thalia rolled her eyes, "The part where he told us you're gods in the future."

AS and Percy made a choking sound, and their eyes widened a considerable amount. "Gods?" Percy squeaked out.

Nico rolled his eyes, "Yes, gods."

There was a silence in the clearing until it finally sunk into the younger version of Annabeth, "Wait, what?" She pushed her way through the crowd and stood behind Zhedios, who was a couple inches taller than her.

The boy turned around to face her, and he was practically knocked off his feet as he backed up, "Holy Hephaestus! Younger version of Mom!"

This caused a nervous chuckle throughout the campers. Annabeth stood there, unsure of what to do, and finally, Poseidon broke the silence, "How about we take a break? Percy, Annabeth, and Zhedios appear to have a lot to discuss."

There was a sigh of relief, "That sounds like a great idea!" Luke said, a little too brightly. "Come on, campers; let's let them have some privacy." And with that, everybody left, leaving the three future members of the Jackson family alone in the clearing.

They took time to study each other, and finally Annabeth spoke, "So, you're our son, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty cool, right?" Zhedios asked.

Percy smirked, "It's especially cool since you're my son. After all, I'm cooler than she is."

Annabeth scoffed, "Excuse me? I'm cooler than you by a longshot."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, keep kidding yourself, sweetheart."

_**Zhedios's POV**_

As I watched Mom and Dad argue, I couldn't help but smile. It was like this all the time at home, always over something so little, but they manage to turn it into a big thing. Like the time they were fighting over which house to buy. Dad wanted a spacious house with a pool in the backyard, but Mom wanted to have a small one, considering that we were going to be living at Olympus most of the time. Finally, Mom gave in when Dad, ahem, _convinced _her. That fight right there is why we have Jaden, my younger brother.

Now, you must be wondering if I'm a god. The answer is no because, I'm a demigod. Apparently Uncle Zeus gave them the gift to have demigod children when they became gods. Yeah, that also means since I'm the son of two gods, I inherit both of their powers. Since my father is the god of loyalty and swordsmanship, I'm loyal to my loved ones, and I'm pretty wicked with a sword. My mother is the goddess of architecture and permanency, therefore, I have a deep appreciation for architecture, and I have a tendency to make sure things are permanent.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by someone calling my name.

"Zhedios!" It was my mother.

Quickly gathering my thoughts I replied, "Yeah, Mom?"

She rolled her eyes, and turned to my dad, "He gets his ignorance from you."

My Dad nodded, agreeing with Mom, until what she said finally sunk in, "Hey!"

Mom and I burst into laughter, "Your reaction was a little late, Dad." I smiled at him.

Dad scowled at me, and Mom stopped giggling and turned to me, "So, Zhedios, we'd like to get to know you better."

I shrugged, "Okay, first thing you should know is that you usually call me Zhed. Now, ask away."

They nodded, and Dad was the first to ask, "Do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, my little bro Jaden. He's nine." I smirked.

They nodded, taking this in. Mom asked the next question, "Are you and Jaden gods?"

I shook my head, "Nope. Zeus gave you the gift to have demigod children."

"Speaking of gods, what are we the gods of?" Dad questioned.

"You, my father, are the god of loyalty and swordsmanship. My dear mother, you are the goddess of architecture-" Dad cut me off by muttering an 'of course', "and permanency."

"So, what qualities do you possess?" asked my mother.

"All of them, I'm loyal, great with a sword, I respect architecture, and I always look to make things permanent. Of course, I have your smarts, and Dad's control over water." I answered.

"So, in other words, you're a powerful demigod." Dad summarized.

"Eh, you could say that. Jaden has the same powers as me, so we're on the same level." I explained.

"The point is basically we have powerful children." Mom confirmed.

"Correct," I nodded.

"Well, then," Mom smiled at me, and I smiled back. "Let's go find the campers and answer their questions, shall we?"

"Yeah," Dad and I agreed. Together we walked through the camp, and found most of the campers at the mess hall. There was a moment of silence when we walked in. Finally, a boy with blond hair, blue eyes, and a scar running down his cheek walked over to us.

"Hey, guys, the campers and I were wondering if you could answer some questions." He stated, looking at my parents and I. I noticed when he looked at Dad, his eyes showed anger and resentment, and when he looked at my Mom, his eyes darkened.

"Sure, Luke." Dad answered gruffly. He looked at Luke with anger that I have only seen once during my life. That was when we were at the park with Jaden, having father-son bonding time as he liked to put it, and a kid had walked by and pushed me off the swing, causing me to get a sprained wrist.

Then it clicked. Luke? As in the Luke who gave himself to Kronos, then at the end of the war sacrificed himself to kill him? Alright, things were not adding up. Mom and Dad never spoke much about Luke, but when they did, you could see respect in their eyes. So, if this was him, why the anger? I'll have to ask later.

Basically, they asked the same questions Mom and Dad did, and I answered them. When I was done answering, I found Luke and young Mom staring at me. Mom's little version was smiling slightly while she studied me, but Luke was eyeing me in hatred, like I wasn't supposed to exist. I immediately tagged him as an enemy.

My grandfather cleared his throat, "Now that introductions have been made, let's keep reading." He started walking, and most of the people followed him, except for me, my parents, Thalia, Nico, Rachel, and Grover.

"So, Zhed, what's the future like?" Nico asked, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

I laughed a bit, "It's pretty nice, Nico. No earth goddesses to worry about, no titans to keep from reforming. You guys pretty much wiped the earth of evil."

The people around me, who I practically consider as family in the future, cheered. "Good, because we don't want our next generation to suffer through what we have." Thalia grinned.

I groaned, "You're all so protective in the future!"

Dad smirked, and ruffled my hair, "Get used to it, son. We're just trying to protect you."

"Yes, Dad, I understand." I sighed. "Can we just go read?"

"Yeah, let's go." Mom said, and we followed her into the clearing, feeling everyone's stare on us. Luke was glaring at me, and at the moment I didn't really care if he was respected by my parents, I glared back.

We sat down, and I sat beside my parents, waiting for the book to start. Poseidon made the book appear, and handed it to Dad, "Percy, I believe you were going to read."

Dad smiled, "Yeah," He then turned to the right page, and started reading.

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Leo VIII," **Read Percy.

"Oh, so this is Uncle Leo's point of view?" Zhedios asked.

"Yup," Thalia responded.

Zhedios smiled, "Interesting,"

**Leo psyched himself up for an extreme makeover.**

The Stolls smirked at this.

**He summoned some breath mints and a pair of welding goggles from his tool belt. The goggles weren't exactly sunglasses, but they'd have to do. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He used some machine oil to grease back his hair. He stuck a wrench in his back pocket (why exactly, he wasn't sure) and he had Hazel draw a tattoo on his biceps with a marker: HOT STUFF, with a skull and crossbones.**

Silena laughed fondly at this.

"**What in the world are you thinking?" She sounded pretty flustered.**

"Does Hazel have a crush?" AS teased.

Nico groaned, "Seriously, Hazel?"

"**I try not to think," Leo admitted. "It interferes with being nuts. Just concentrate on moving that Celestial bronze. Echo, you ready?"**

"**Ready," she said.**

**Leo took a deep breath. He strutted back toward the pond, hoping he looked awesome and not like he had some sort of nervous affliction. "Leo is the coolest!" he shouted.**

"**Leo is the coolest!" Echo shouted back.**

"Team Leo!" Rachel cheered.

"**Yeah, baby, check me out!"**

"**Check me out!" Echo said.**

"**Make way for the king!"**

"**The king!"**

"**Narcissus is weak!"**

"**Weak!"**

**The crowd of nymphs scattered in surprise. Leo shooed them away as if they were bothering him. "No autographs, girls. I know you want some Leo time, but I'm way too cool. You better just hang around that ugly dweeb Narcissus. He's lame!"**

"The first and only thing I'll agree with Leo on." Silena laughed.

"**Lame!" Echo said with enthusiasm.**

**The nymphs muttered angrily.**

"**What are you talking about?" one demanded.**

"**You're lame," said another.**

**Leo adjusted his goggles and smiled. He flexed his biceps, though he didn't have much to flex,**

"Yeah, unlike Perce." Thalia smirked.

Percy groaned, and Zhedios and AS laughed at him.

"Seriously, Thalia, you're going to have to explain this story to me." AS commented.

"Yeah, I don't think you've told me this one, and you tell me everything embarrassing about Dad." Zhedios added.

Percy's eyes widened, "Nooo." He moaned.

"I'll tell you guys, I swear on the Styx." Thalia laughed at Percy's obvious discomfort. Cue thunder as she swore.

**and showed off his HOT STUFF tattoo. He had the nymphs' attention, if only because they were stunned; but Narcissus was still fixed on his own reflection.**

"**You know how ugly Narcissus is?" Leo asked the crowd. "He's so ugly, when he was born his mama thought he was a backward centaur—with a horse butt for a face."**

Chiron huffed at this, while everyone gathered laughed.

**Some of the nymphs gasped. Narcissus frowned, as though he was vaguely aware of a gnat buzzing around his head.**

"**You know why his bow has cobwebs?" Leo continued. "He uses it to hunt for dates, but he can't find one!"**

"Burn!" Will and Chris sang.

**One of the nymphs laughed. The others quickly elbowed her into silence.**

"No, no, laugh. It's good for you." Malcolm urged.

Many of the campers gasped, "Did an Athena child just encourage someone to laugh?" somebody from the Apollo cabin asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Annabeth asked. All of the Athena campers were frowning, as well as Zhedios, AS, Percy, Thalia, Nico, Rachel, and Grover.

A Hermes camper scoffed, "Everybody knows that an Athena camper doesn't know how to laugh."

There was silence in the clearing, then Malcolm snarled, "We do know how to laugh!"

The same Hermes camper laughed, "Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it."

Percy looked down to his fiancée and noticed her glaring at the camper, along with her younger brothers and sisters. He looked at Thalia who was observing him, her eyes asking for permission. He nodded, and Thalia shocked the camper with a short spurt of lightning.

The camper was slightly dazed when Thalia walked over to him. Her eyes were sharp and piercing. "Don't you ever assume anything about the Athena campers," she hissed. "And, by the way, my best friend is an Athenian, and she laughs a lot, so I would assume they do know how to laugh."

As Thalia walked back to her seat, a lot of the campers were watching her with fear. The futures laughed at this fact, and Nico told Percy to read.

**Narcissus turned and scowled at Leo. "Who are you?"**

"**I'm the Super-sized McShizzle, man!" Leo said. "I'm Leo Valdez, bad boy supreme. And the ladies love a bad boy."**

"Yeah, I learned from the best," Zhedios grinned, "Uncle Leo taught me some things."

Percy and AS groaned, while Nico and Thalia started laughing like maniacs.

"Zhed, I hate to break it to you, but Leo's not the best at getting the ladies." Percy looked at his future son, "Plus, if you wanted to learn, you could've just asked me."

Zhedios shook his head, "That's where you're wrong, Dad. Leo told me he has an entire fandom wanting to marry him."

"Son, that's what Leo likes to think."

"But, Dad, when I visited the library on Olympus, I found a god named Rick. He told me what Leo says is true, and he showed me an entire fandom who had wrote 'all da ladies luv Leo' on their wrists." Zhedios explained.

"Yeah," Nico gasped, "I'll believe it when I see it."

Zhedios frowned when no one believed him about Leo. His uncle was and is an awesome guy, who really knows how to steal many hearts.

Annabeth and Luke watched this interaction, Luke with hatred, and Annabeth with curiosity. Luke was mad that Zhedios was the son of Annabeth and Percy, not Annabeth and himself. The younger Annabeth was curious, because, hey, this was her son after all, and she didn't know him very well. It was awkward thinking that she was a mother, especially at this age, but she tried to accept the fact.

"**Love a bad boy!" Echo said, with a convincing squeal.**

**Leo took out a pen and autographed the arm of one of the nymphs. "Narcissus is a loser! He's so weak, he can't bench-press a Kleenex. He's so lame, when you look up lame on Wikipedia, it's got a picture of Narcissus—only the picture's so ugly, no one ever checks it out."**

"Get 'em, Leo!" The Stolls, Will, and Chris cheered.

**Narcissus knit his handsome eyebrows. His face was turning from bronze to salmon pink. For the moment, he'd totally forgotten about the pond, and Leo could see the sheet of bronze sinking into the sand.**

"**What are you talking about?" Narcissus demanded. "I am amazing. Everyone knows this."**

Katie scoffed, "Yeah, you wish."

"**Amazing at pure suck," Leo said. "If I was as suck as you, I'd drown myself. Oh wait, you already did that."**

Beckendorf laughed, "Wow, Leo, seriously?"

**Another nymph giggled. Then another. Narcissus growled, which did make him look a little less handsome. Meanwhile Leo beamed and wiggled his eyebrows over his goggles and spread his hands, gesturing for applause.**

"**That's right!" he said. "Team Leo for the win!"**

Zhedios stood up and shouted, "Team Leo!"

Everyone laughed, except for Luke.

"**Team Leo for the win!" Echo shouted. She'd wriggled into the mob of nymphs, and because she was so hard to see, the nymphs apparently thought the voice came from one of their own.**

"One of their own," Travis mused. "Sounds like it's a zombie invasion."

Katie rolled her eyes, "Only you would think that, Stoll."

"You know you love me, Kates." Travis replied.

Katie looked horrified, and most of the campers laughed at her expression.

"**Oh my god, I am so awesome!" Leo bellowed.**

"**So awesome!" Echo yelled back.**

"**He is funny," a nymph ventured.**

"**And cute, in a scrawny way," another said.**

Thalia smirked at this.

"**Scrawny?" Leo asked. "Baby, I invented scrawny. Scrawny is the new sizzling hot. And I GOT the scrawny. Narcissus? He's such a loser even the Underworld didn't want him. He couldn't get the ghost girls to date him."**

"Damn, Leo," Chris laughed.

"**Eww," said a nymph.**

"**Eww!" Echo agreed.**

"**Stop!" Narcissus got to his feet. "This is not right! This person is obviously not awesome, so he must be…" He struggled for the right words. It had probably been a long time since he'd talked about anything other than himself. "He must be tricking us."**

**Apparently Narcissus wasn't completely stupid.**

"Don't start believing that." AS pleaded.

**Realization dawned on his face. He turned back to the pond. "The bronze mirror is gone! My reflection! Give me back to me!"**

"**Team Leo!" one of the nymphs squeaked. But the others returned their attention to Narcissus.**

"You go, nymph!" Zhedios cheered.

"Zhedios are you and Leo close in the future?" Thalia asked.

"Yeah, Thals, what kind of question is that?" Zhedios asked, confused.

AS put her head in her hands, "Great, just great."

Zhedios looked at her, confused. "Why are you saying that, Mom? You were the one to ask Uncle Leo to watch over me when I was a baby."

AS's head shot up upon hearing this, "Thalia, remind to not do that in the future."

"Gotcha," Thalia laughed at her panicked expression.

"**I'm the beautiful one!" Narcissus insisted. "He's stolen my mirror, and I'm going to leave unless we get it back!"**

**The girls gasped. One pointed. "There!"**

**Hazel was at the top of the crater, running away as fast as she could while lugging a large sheet of bronze.**

"You should've thought of some other way to transport it," Beckendorf muttered.

"**Get it back!" cried a nymph.**

**Probably against her will, Echo muttered, "Get it back."**

"**Yes!" Narcissus unslung his bow and grabbed an arrow from his dusty quiver. "The first one who gets that bronze, I will like you almost as much as I like me. I might even kiss you, right after I kiss my reflection!"**

"Are you kidding me?" Clarisse asked with a disgusted expression.

"Sadly, he isn't." Malcolm rolled his eyes.

"**Oh my gods!" the nymphs screamed.**

"**And kill those demigods!" Narcissus added, glaring very handsomely at Leo. "They are not as cool as me!"**

"Oh, yes, he is!" Zhedios argued.

Percy and AS raised an eyebrow, mentally questioning their son's sanity.

Luke had had enough of this boy, so he snapped, "Shut up, kid." All heads turned towards him after he had said this. "What?" he asked. "The boy needs to stop interrupting."

Zhedios looked uncomfortable as his parents stared at Luke with hatred. "Luke," Percy stated, firmly. "You will not address my son that way."

Luke rolled his eyes, "I'll address anybody here the way I want."

"Not my son, you won't." Percy countered, his eyes seething.

Luke looked up to meet Percy's eyes, and he decided, seeing how angry he was, to back down. "Fine," he muttered, but Percy still heard him.

"Dad, let's continue reading." Zhedios tried to keep his dad's attention away from Luke.

Percy cleared his throat, "Right."

**Leo could run pretty fast when someone was trying to kill him. Sadly, he'd had a lot of practice.**

"We know the feeling," The Stolls said, sympathetically.

**He overtook Hazel, which was easy, since she was struggling with fifty pounds of Celestial bronze.**

**He took one side of the metal plate and glanced back. Narcissus was nocking an arrow, but it was so old and brittle, it broke into splinters.**

"**Ow!" he yelled very attractively. "My manicure!"**

"I am about this close from punching this guy," Rachel growled.

"Rachel! Violence is never the answer!" Nico chided.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "It is if you're a half-blood who's fighting monsters."

Nico seemed to ponder this, "Oh, right."

Everyone laughed at Nico's stupidity.

**Normally nymphs were quick—at least the ones at Camp Half-Blood were—but these were burdened with posters, T-shirts, and other Narcissus™ merchandise. The nymphs also weren't great at working as a team. They kept stumbling over one another, pushing and shoving. Echo made things worse by running among them, tripping and tackling as many as she could.**

**Still, they were closing rapidly.**

"**Call Arion!" Leo gasped.**

"**Already did!" Hazel said.**

**They ran for the beach. They made it to the edge of the water and could see the Argo II, but there was no way to get there. It was much too far to swim, even if they hadn't been toting bronze.**

"You should've taken Shark Boy," Rachel told the book.

"Now you're calling me Shark Boy? Seriously, Rachel?" Percy asked, exasperated.

"hey, all you need is Lava Girl." Grover grinned.

"Grover, you got it wrong. It's Wise Girl." Nico chided.

"Shark Boy and Wise Girl!" Thalia exclaimed.

Percy and AS groaned, and Zhedios grinned, "Good one, guys."

Nico, Rachel, Grover and Thalia smirked, "You're welcome." They said in sync.

"Woah." Chris breathed, "That was creepy."

They turned to Chris, once again in sync, "How so, Christopher?"

"Really creepy," Percy said.

Looking at Percy, they spoke, "Do not judge us, Perseus."

"OKAY!" Connor shouted, "STOP IT! YOU'RE FREAKING ME OUT!"

They stared at Connor for a few moments, making him feel uncomfortable. Then, Rachel started laughing. Followed by, Thalia, Grover, and then Nico. Everyone waited for them to calm down, and when they did, Percy started reading.

**Leo turned. The mob was coming over the dunes, Narcissus in the lead, holding his bow like a band major's baton. The nymphs had conjured assorted weapons. Some held rocks. Some had wooden clubs wreathed in flowers. A few of the water nymphs had squirt guns—which seemed not quite as terrifying—but the look in their eyes was still murderous.**

"Bad idea to make nymphs mad." Somebody muttered.

"**Oh, man," Leo muttered, summoning fire in his free hand. "Straight-up fighting isn't my thing."**

The Ares cabin muttered something along the lines of 'weak' and 'loser'.

"**Hold the Celestial bronze." Hazel drew her sword. "Get behind me!"**

"Isn't that kind of backwards?" Travis questioned. "I mean, shouldn't the guy be defending the girl?"

AS shrugged, "It's Leo we're talking about. He _is _backwards." The future nodded in agreement.

"Alright then," Travis replied.

"**Get behind me!" Echo repeated. The camouflaged girl was racing ahead of the mob now. She stopped in front of Leo and turned, spreading her arms as if she meant to personally shield him.**

"**Echo?" Leo could hardly talk with the lump in his throat. "You're one brave nymph."**

"**Brave nymph?" Her tone made it a question.**

"Oh, Leo, stop being so charming." An Aphrodite camper laughed.

"**I'm proud to have you on Team Leo," he said. "If we survive this, you should forget Narcissus."**

"**Forget Narcissus?" she said uncertainly.**

"**You're way too good for him."**

"Yes, run away with Leo!" Will shouted.

**The nymphs surrounded them in a semicircle.**

"**Trickery!" Narcissus said. "They don't love me, girls! We all love me, don't we?"**

"No!" All the girls in the clearing said.

"**Yes!" the girls screamed, except for one confused nymph in a yellow dress who squeaked, "Team Leo!"**

"That nymph's on the right side." A girl from Apollo said.

"**Kill them!" Narcissus ordered.**

**The nymphs surged forward, but the sand in front of them exploded. Arion raced out of nowhere, circling the mob so quickly he created a sandstorm, showering the nymphs in white lime, spraying their eyes.**

"**I love this horse!" Leo said.**

"Yeah, well, Leo, hate to tell you, but Arion hates you." Percy rubbed the back of his neck.

**The nymphs collapsed, coughing and gagging. Narcissus stumbled around blindly, swinging his bow like he was trying to hit a piñata.**

**Hazel climbed into the saddle, hoisted up the bronze, and offered Leo a hand.**

"**We can't leave Echo!" Leo said.**

"**Leave Echo," the nymph repeated.**

**She smiled, and for the first time Leo could clearly see her face. She really was pretty. Her eyes were bluer than he'd realized. How had he missed that?**

"Leo's got a crush!" Someone sang.

Thalia snorted, "Leo falls in love with _every_ girl he meets."

"Really?" Katie asked.

AS nodded, "Yup, he tried to hit on Thalia."

Thalia laughed, "I ignored him."

Everyone chuckled at Leo's antics.

"**Why?" Leo asked. "You don't think you can still save Narcissus …"**

"**Save Narcissus," she said confidently. And even though it was only an echo, Leo could tell that she meant it. She'd been given a second chance at life, and she was determined to use it to save the guy she loved—even if he was a completely hopeless (though very handsome) moron.**

"Aww," Silena cooed, as well as the rest of the Aphrodite campers.

"I only love a few people." Thalia said.

"I thought Hunters weren't allowed to love?" Grover questioned.

"Oh, we are, but not in a romantic way. I love you guys like family." Talia explained.

The futures grinned and said, "Love you too, Thals."

"Oh my gods, you guys are such a cute family." A Demeter camper complimented.

Nico shrugged, "Thanks."

**Leo wanted to protest, but Echo leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, then pushed him gently away.**

"A goodbye kiss." An Aphrodite camper wiped a tear away.

Clarisse rolled her eyes.

"**Leo, come on!" Hazel called.**

**The other nymphs were starting to recover. They wiped the lime out of their eyes, which were now glowing green with anger. Leo looked for Echo again, but she had dissolved into the scenery.**

"**Yeah," he said, his throat dry. "Yeah, okay."**

"That's so sad." A girl from Hephaestus said.

Zhedios smirked, "Just wait. You guys will be crying buckets at the end of this book."

"How would you know that?" Nico asked.

"Oh, please, Nico. You guys tell me everything about your lives." Zhedios rolled his eyes.

Grover raised an eyebrow, "Look who inherited his mother's sass,"

"Hey!" Zhedios and AS said. Percy, Rachel, Thalia, Nico, Poseidon, and Grover laughed.

"It's true." Percy commented, eyes lighting up in an mischievous manner. "Your mother does have some sass."

"Percy!" AS cried, "I do not!"

"Yes you do," Percy argued.

"Shut it, Jackson."

"Make me, Chase."

"Okay, okay." Thalia interfered. "Before you start sucking each other's faces, I wanna get through this chapter."

Percy and AS blushed, while everyone laughed at the couple except for an angry Luke, and an confused Annabeth.

**He climbed up behind Hazel. Arion took off across the water, the nymphs screaming behind them, and Narcissus shouting, "Bring me back! Bring me back!"**

"You got another chance to live, bro." Will interjected. "Take it."

**As Arion raced toward the Argo II, Leo remembered what Nemesis had said about Echo and Narcissus: Perhaps they'll teach you a lesson.**

**Leo had thought she'd meant Narcissus, but now he wondered if the real lesson for him was Echo—invisible to her brethren, cursed to love someone who didn't care for her. A seventh wheel. He tried to shake that thought. He clung to the sheet of bronze like a shield.**

"Don't think like that, Leo." Beckendorf told the book, softly.

**He was determined never to forget Echo's face. She deserved at least one person who saw her and knew how good she was. Leo closed his eyes, but the memory of her smile was already fading.**

This statement left a couple campers to the point of tears, but only a few managed to get out. "Alright," Percy sighed, sounding slightly sad. "Who's reading next?"

"I'd like to read!" Travis called out.

Grover smirked, "I'd never thought I'd live to see the day a Stoll wants to read."

Travis glared at him playfully, "Be quiet, Grover." He said, trying to be angry, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. He took the book from Percy and opened it to the next chapter.

* * *

**Alright, kill me for updating late. I'm gonna be honest with you, I got lazy. Yeah, anyways, I feel like this chapter could be better, but I tried my hardest to get it done for you all. As always, thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. It means a lot, truly.**

**And yes, they were Rainbow Organic Food and Lifestyle-ing ;)**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	10. Piper IX

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Piper IX,"** Started Travis.

**Piper didn't want to use the knife.**

**But sitting in Jason's cabin, waiting for him to wake up, she felt alone and helpless.**

"No, Piper! Don't resort to it! We loaf (love) you!" Nico moaned.

**Jason's face was so pale, he might've been dead.**

"I know my brother is safe," Thalia started, "but I don't like thinking he's on the verge of death."

"I don't either, but we were sent to read this for some reason, Thals." Percy sympathized.

Thalia nodded, and signaled for Travis to start reading.

**She remembered the awful sound of that brick hitting his forehead—an injury that had happened only because he'd tried to shield her from the Romans.**

**Even with the nectar and ambrosia they'd managed to force-feed him, Piper couldn't be sure he would be okay when he woke up. What if he'd lost his memories again—but this time, his memories of her?**

"Welcome to my world, Piper." AS sighed.

**That would be the cruelest trick the gods had played on her yet, and they'd played some pretty cruel tricks.**

"Yeah, a lot of cruel tricks." Thalia breathed.

**She heard Gleeson Hedge in his room next door, humming a military song—"Stars and Stripes Forever," maybe? Since the satellite TV was out, the satyr was probably sitting on his bunk reading back issues of Guns & Ammo magazine. He wasn't a bad chaperone, but he was definitely the most warlike old goat Piper had ever met.**

**Of course she was grateful to the satyr. He had helped her dad, movie actor Tristan McLean,**

"WHAT?" Shrieked the Aphrodite and Demeter girls.

"Piper's dad is Tristan McLean, why is that such a big matter?" An Apollo camper asked. Silena got up, and grabbed him by the shirt.

"Tristan McLean is the best actor out there!" She shrieked in his face.

"Okay," He pried her hands off his shirt. "you could've told me without making me go deaf."

Silena smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, Derek."

Derek just nodded, and Silena sat down in her seat.

**get back on his feet after being kidnapped by giants the past winter. A few weeks ago, Hedge had asked his girlfriend, Mellie, to take charge of the McLean household so he could come along to help with this quest.**

**Coach Hedge had tried to make it sound like returning to Camp Half-Blood had been all his idea, but Piper suspected there was more to it. The last few weeks, whenever Piper called home, her dad and Mellie had asked her what was wrong. Maybe something in her voice had tipped them off.**

**Piper couldn't share the visions she'd seen. They were too disturbing. Besides, her dad had taken a potion that had erased all of Piper's demigod secrets from his memory. But he could still tell when she was upset, and she was pretty sure her dad had encouraged Coach to look out for her.**

**She shouldn't draw her blade. It would only make her feel worse.**

"Why?" Annabeth asked.

"Her blade shows scenes that are important." Percy answered.

"So, it tells the future?" Connor grinned.

Katie groaned, and slapped the side of his head, "He said it tells _important _events. Not just a random scene from the future."

"Jeez," Connor said, while rubbing the back of his head, "No need to abuse the asker."

**Finally the temptation was too great. She unsheathed Katoptris. It didn't look very special, just a triangular blade with an unadorned hilt, but it had once been owned by Helen of Troy.**

**The dagger's name meant "looking glass."**

**Piper gazed at the bronze blade. At first, she saw only her reflection. Then light rippled across the metal. She saw a crowd of Roman demigods gathered in the forum. The blond scarecrow-looking kid, Octavian, was speaking to the mob, shaking his fist. Piper couldn't hear him, but the gist was obvious: We need to kill those Greeks!**

Clarisse let out a short bark of laughter, "Like they could kill us. We'll make sure to kick their asses before they could come close."

The future demigods smirked, remembering what the Ares cabin had done during the second Giant War. They sure did make a difference.

**Reyna, the praetor, stood to one side, her face tight with suppressed emotion. Bitterness? Anger? Piper wasn't sure.**

**She'd been prepared to hate Reyna, but she couldn't. During the feast in the forum, Piper had admired the way Reyna kept her feelings in check.**

"She is an admirable person." Nico admitted.

"Le gasp!" Zhedios shouted. "Nic's got a crush!"

"No I don't!" Nico replied loudly, blushing.

"Why the blush then, dear cousin?" Percy asked, teasingly.

"Shut up, Percy! Just, shut up!"

"He's in denial!" Thalia exclaimed, smiling at Nico.

"I am not in denial! I have NO feelings for Reyna, whatsoever!" Nico stated, getting his blush under control.

"Whatever you say, cuz." Percy said, "Let's drop it."

**Reyna had sized up Piper and Jason's relationship right away. As a daughter of Aphrodite, Piper could tell stuff like that. Yet Reyna had stayed polite and in control. She'd put her camp's needs ahead of her emotions. She'd given the Greeks a fair chance … right up until the Argo II had started destroying her city.**

"Yeah, not the best move." Chris winced.

**She'd almost made Piper feel guilty about being Jason's girlfriend, though that was silly. Jason hadn't ever been Reyna's boyfriend, not really.**

"Not really…" Katie trailed off.

"She doesn't sound sure." Connor noted.

**Maybe Reyna wasn't so bad, but it didn't matter now. They'd messed up the chance for peace. Piper's power of persuasion had, for once, done absolutely no good.**

**Her secret fear? Maybe she hadn't tried hard enough. Piper had never wanted to make friends with the Romans. She was too worried about losing Jason to his old life. Maybe unconsciously she hadn't put her best effort into the charmspeak.**

"You were, Pipes, don't worry." Percy said softly.

**Now Jason was hurt. The ship had been almost destroyed. And according to her dagger, that crazy teddy-bear-strangling kid, Octavian, was whipping the Romans into a war frenzy.**

**The scene in her blade shifted. There was a rapid series of images she'd seen before, but she still didn't understand them: Jason riding into battle on horseback, his eyes gold instead of blue;**

All the futures eyes' unconsciously shifted towards Luke. Luke noticed, and he glared at the ground.

**a woman in an old-fashioned Southern belle dress, standing in an oceanside park with palm trees; a bull with the face of a bearded man, rising out of a river; and two giants in matching yellow togas, hoisting a rope on a pulley system, lifting a large bronze vase out of a pit.**

**Then came the worst vision: she saw herself with Jason and Percy, standing waist-deep in water at the bottom of a dark circular chamber, like a giant well. Ghostly shapes moved through the water as it rose rapidly. Piper clawed at the walls, trying to escape, but there was nowhere to go. The water reached their chests. Jason was pulled under. Percy stumbled and disappeared.**

Everyone's eyes widened except for Percy's. Poseidon spoke worriedly, "Son, you can't drown. You're a son of the sea god." The Athena cabin nodded rapidly, wanting to know.

Percy sighed under all the people's gazes, "The book will explain."

They all huffed, but accepted it, nonetheless.

**How could a child of the sea god drown?**

If you listened closely, you could hear the mumbled 'exactly'.

**Piper didn't know, but she watched herself in the vision, alone and thrashing in the dark, until the water rose over her head.**

**Piper shut her eyes. Don't show me that again, she pleaded. Show me something helpful.**

**She forced herself to look at the blade again.**

**This time, she saw an empty highway cutting between fields of wheat and sunflowers. A mileage marker read: TOPEKA 32. On the shoulder of the road stood a man in khaki shorts and a purple camp shirt. His face was lost in the shadow of a broad hat, the brim wreathed in leafy vines. He held up a silver goblet and beckoned to Piper. Somehow she knew he was offering her some sort of gift—a cure, or an antidote.**

"Accept it!" Will shouted.

"Of course she's gonna accept it, Will. She's not an idiot." Chris facepalmed.

"**Hey," Jason croaked.**

**Piper was so startled she dropped the knife. "You're awake!"**

"**Don't sound so surprised." Jason touched his bandaged head and frowned. "What … what happened? I remember the explosions, and —"**

"**You remember who I am?"**

**Jason tried to laugh, but it turned into a painful wince. "Last I checked, you were my awesome girlfriend Piper. Unless something has changed since I was out?"**

"Aww," The Aphrodite cabin cooed.

**Piper was so relieved she almost sobbed. She helped him sit up and gave him some nectar to sip while she brought him up to speed. She was just explaining Leo's plan to fix the ship when she heard horse hooves clomping across the deck over their heads.**

**Moments later, Leo and Hazel stumbled to a stop in the doorway, carrying a large sheet of hammered bronze between them.**

"**Gods of Olympus." Piper stared at Leo. "What happened to you?"**

**His hair was greased back. He had welding goggles on his forehead, a lipstick mark on his cheek,****tattoos all over his arms, and a T-shirt that read HOT STUFF, BAD BOY, and TEAM LEO.**

"His fangirls have attacked!" Zhedios shouted.

"Nah, just Hazel and Echo." Nico said, dismissively.

Zhedios pouted, "Just you guys wait. You'll see how Uncle Leo is awesome!"

All the futures chuckled, "We'll see."

"**Long story," he said. "Others back?"**

"**Not yet," Piper said.**

**Leo cursed. Then he noticed Jason sitting up, and his face brightened. "Hey, man! Glad you're better. I'll be in the engine room."**

**He ran off with the sheet of bronze, leaving Hazel in the doorway.**

**Piper raised an eyebrow at her. "Team Leo?"**

"**We met Narcissus," Hazel said, which didn't really explain much. "Also Nemesis, the revenge goddess."**

**Jason sighed. "I miss all the fun."**

"You sure did, Jason." Percy said dryly.

**On the deck above, something went THUMP, as if a heavy creature had landed. Annabeth and Percy came running down the hall. Percy was toting a steaming five-gallon plastic bucket that smelled horrible. Annabeth had a patch of black sticky stuff in her hair.**

Thalia laughed at Annabeth's horrified expression.

**Percy's shirt was covered in it.**

"**Roofing tar?" Piper guessed.**

**Frank stumbled up behind them, which made the hallway pretty jam-packed with demigods. Frank had a big smear of the black sludge down his face.**

"**Ran into some tar monsters," Annabeth said.**

"Tar monsters. Seriously?" Clarisse asked, trying not to laugh.

Percy and AS nodded, "They exist." Percy said.

"Wow." Travis chuckled. "I've never heard of a tar monster."

"Well, now you have." Rachel sighed. "Continue reading."

"**Hey, Jason, glad you're awake. Hazel, where's Leo?"**

**She pointed down. "Engine room."**

**Suddenly the entire ship listed to port. The demigods stumbled. Percy almost spilled his bucket of tar.**

"**Uh, what was that?" he demanded.**

"**Oh …" Hazel looked embarrassed. "We may have angered the nymphs who live in this lake. Like … all of them."**

"**Great." Percy handed the bucket of tar to Frank and Annabeth. "You guys help Leo. I'll hold off the water spirits as long as I can."**

"**On it!" Frank promised.**

**The three of them ran off, leaving Hazel at the cabin door. The ship listed again, and Hazel hugged her stomach like she was going to be sick.**

"She's seasick?" Nico asked.

"Apparently," Grover frowned.

"**I'll just …" She swallowed, pointed weakly down the passageway, and ran off.**

**Jason and Piper stayed below as the ship rocked back and forth. For a hero, Piper felt pretty useless. Waves crashed against the hull as angry voices came from above deck—Percy shouting, Coach Hedge yelling at the lake. Festus the figurehead breathed fire several times. Down the hall, Hazel moaned miserably in her cabin. In the engine room below, it sounded like Leo and the others were doing an Irish line dance with anvils tied to their feet.**

Will grinned, "Was that what you guys were doing?"

AS laughed, "Of course not."

"Well you should have." Beckendorf smiled. "Recent studies have shown that Irish dancing help speeds the process of fixing an engine."

Everyone gaped at him, "No way." breathed Malcolm.

"Yes way." Beckendorf replied. He let everyone stare at him for a little longer, before busting out into a full blown grin, "Nah, I'm just kidding with ya."

Then Percy started laughing, soon followed by the others, "Good one, Beckendorf!" He laughed.

"Why, thank you."

"Not a problem."

**After what seemed like hours, the engine began to hum. The oars creaked and groaned, and Piper felt the ship lift into the air.**

**The rocking and shaking stopped. The ship became quiet except for the drone of machinery. Finally Leo emerged from the engine room. He was caked in sweat, lime dust, and tar. His T-shirt looked like it had been caught in an escalator and chewed to shreds. The TEAM LEO on his chest now read: AM LEO.**

"That's right, you are Leo." Chris told the book.

**But he grinned like a madman and announced that they were safely under way.**

"**Meeting in the mess hall, one hour," he said. "Crazy day, huh?"**

"Yup," All the demigods of the past said.

The futures looked at each other and shrugged, "We've been through more." They said nonchalantly.

"Yeah," Percy smiled, "Two wars really does change your view of a full day."

Luke snarled in Percy's direction, "No need to brag about it, Jackson."

Percy's expression immediately darkened, "I am not bragging about it, Luke. Seeing war is not something to brag about."

Luke rolled his eyes, "You sure seem to take pride in it." By now, everyone was glaring at Luke, but he didn't care. "If you're so powerful, then surely you must be able to defeat me in combat."

Percy clenched his jaw, "If that is what you want, then we'll do it. After this chapter, you and me, in the arena."

Luke smirked; surely Jackson didn't know what was coming for him. "Deal." The futures were smirking too, but for a different reason. Percy was gonna show Luke just how powerful he really was.

Percy nodded in Luke's direction, his expression still dark, "Continue reading, Travis."

Travis looked worriedly in Percy's direction. Luke was the best swordsman at camp, and now Luke was challenging Percy? He had no doubt that Luke would win, but he also didn't want his new friend to be humiliated. Nevertheless, he did as he was told.

**After everyone had cleaned up, Coach Hedge took the helm and the demigods gathered below for dinner. It was the first time they'd all sat down together—just the seven of them. Maybe their presence should've reassured Piper, but seeing all of them in one place only reminded her that the Prophecy of Seven was unfolding at last. No more waiting for Leo to finish the ship. No more easy days at Camp Half-Blood, pretending the future was still a long way off. They were under way, with a bunch of angry Romans behind them and the ancient lands ahead. The giants would be waiting. Gaea was rising. And unless they succeeded in this quest, the world would be destroyed.**

**The others must've felt it too. The tension in the mess hall was like an electrical storm brewing, which was totally possible, considering Percy's and Jason's powers.**

Chris and Will smiled at Percy, "It'd be awesome if you actually made an electrical storm!"

Thalia smirked, and looked at Percy, "Think we could make one after your battle?"

Percy laughed, his dark expression now gone, "Sure, I don't see why not."

Will and Chris's eyes brightened, "Yes!" They shouted, hi-fiving each other.

**In an awkward moment, the two boys tried to sit in the same chair at the head of the table.**

Poseidon winced, "Very awkward, indeed, two natural born leaders."

Some of the people in the clearing couldn't help but compare the situation to Percy and Luke's situation.

**Sparks literally flew from Jason's hands. After a brief silent standoff, like they were both thinking, Seriously, dude?,**

"Was that what you were thinking?" asked Katie.

Percy nodded, "Pretty much. I'm not sure about Jason, but yeah, that's what I was thinking."

**they ceded the chair to Annabeth and sat at opposite sides of the table.**

Cue laughter at this. Grover grinned, "Three leaders on one quest. This should be interesting."

AS gave a small smile, "Shut up, Goat Boy."

**The crew compared notes on what had happened in Salt Lake City, but even Leo's ridiculous story about how he tricked Narcissus wasn't enough to cheer up the group.**

"**So where to now?" Leo asked with a mouthful of pizza. "I did a quick repair job to get us out of the lake, but there's still a lot of damage. We should really put down again and fix things right before we head across the Atlantic."**

**Percy was eating a piece of pie, which for some reason was completely blue— filling, crust, even the whipped cream.**

The futures laughed at this, "You don't really change much, do you, Dad?" Zhedios asked. "You do the same thing in the future."

Percy gave a sheepish smile, "Old habits die hard, I guess?"

"Yeah, now Jaden and I love blue food, and you're the only one to blame." Zhedios smirked.

Nico looked at Percy and smirked, "You got your kids on it, too? I knew you were obsessed, but I didn't know you were _that _obsessed."

Percy mock-glared at Nico, but it was ruined by the smile on his face, "It's a Jackson thing." Then he turned to his son, "I want you to pass it on to your kids, okay?"

Zhedios saluted, "Got it, Dad."

"**We need to put some distance between us and Camp Jupiter," he said. "Frank spotted some eagles over Salt Lake City. We figure the Romans aren't far behind us."**

**That didn't improve the mood around the table. Piper didn't want to say anything, but she felt obliged … and a little guilty. "I don't suppose we should go back and try to reason with the Romans? Maybe—maybe I didn't try hard enough with the charmspeak."**

**Jason took her hand. "It wasn't your fault, Pipes. Or Leo's," he added quickly. "Whatever happened, it was Gaea's doing, to drive the two camps apart."**

"Yeah, don't blame yourself." Derek said.

**Piper was grateful for his support, but she still felt uneasy. "Maybe if we could explain that, though—"**

"**With no proof?" Annabeth asked. "And no idea what really happened? I appreciate what you're saying, Piper. I don't want the Romans on our bad side, but until we understand what Gaea's up to, going back is suicide."**

"Yep, so just keep on moving." An Ares camper concluded.

"**She's right," Hazel said. She still looked a little queasy from seasickness, but she was trying to eat a few saltine crackers. The rim of her plate was embedded with rubies, and Piper was pretty sure they hadn't been there at the beginning of the meal. "Reyna might listen, but Octavian won't. The Romans have honor to think about. They've been attacked. They'll shoot first and ask questions post hac."**

**Piper stared at her own dinner. The magical plates could conjure up a great selection of vegetarian stuff. She especially liked the avocado and grilled pepper quesadilla, but tonight she didn't have much of an appetite.**

**She thought about the visions she'd seen in her knife: Jason with golden eyes; the bull with the human head; the two giants in yellow togas hoisting a bronze jar from a pit. Worst of all, she remembered herself drowning in black water.**

Percy shuddered, remembering the experience.

**Piper had always liked the water.**

**She had good memories of surfing with her dad. **

"Surfing, huh?" Percy muttered, then he said in a louder voice, "Remind me when we get back to challenge Pipes to a surfing competition."

"Will do," Nico said, making a mental note.

**But since she'd started seeing that vision in Katoptris, she'd been thinking more and more of an old Cherokee story her granddad used to tell to keep her away from the river near his cabin. He told her the Cherokees believed in good water spirits, like the naiads of the Greeks; but they also believed in evil water spirits, the water cannibals, who hunted mortals with invisible arrows and were especially fond of drowning small children.**

Poseidon and Percy bust of laughing at this. The others had no idea why, maybe because it was water related, but they really didn't want to know.

"**You're right," she decided. "We have to keep going. Not just because of the Romans. We have to hurry."**

**Hazel nodded. "Nemesis said we have only six days until Nico dies and Rome is destroyed."**

**Jason frowned. "You mean Rome Rome, not New Rome?"**

Nico pretended to be offended, "Jeez, Jason, I'm about to die, and you're more concerned whether or not your home is going to be destroyed."

Thalia laughed at this, "Drama queen."

Nico glared at her, but his eyes were sparkling with amusement, "Look who's talking, Miss I-like-to-make-it-thunder-when-I'm-trying-to-get-m y-point-across."

Percy grinned, and hi-fived Nico, "You're right cuz; she does like to do that."

"I do not!" Thalia argued, which made thunder rumble on a cloudless day. Nico and Percy smirked at her in a 'see what I mean?" way. She huffed, and stuck her tongue out at them, which made them do the same thing back to her.

Zhedios sighed, and summoned some water and threw it at them. They turned to him, dripping wet and shocked. "You did that?" Nico asked in an awed tone.

The boy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, of course. I told you I inherited Dad's powers too. Now, could all of you shut up, so we can start reading?"

The adults smiled sheepishly at him and nodded. AS gave her future son a hi-five.

"**I think," Hazel said. "But if so, that's not much time."**

"**Why six days?" Percy wondered. "And how are they going to destroy Rome?"**

**No one answered. Piper didn't want to add further bad news, but she felt she had to.**

"**There's more," she said. "I've been seeing some things in my knife."**

**The big kid, Frank, froze with a forkful of spaghetti halfway to his mouth. "Things such as …?"**

"**They don't really make sense," Piper said, "just garbled images, but I saw two giants, dressed alike. Maybe twins."**

**Annabeth stared at the magical video feed from Camp Half-Blood on the wall. Right now it showed the living room in the Big House: a cozy fire on the hearth and Seymour, the stuffed leopard head, snoring contentedly above the mantel.**

"**Twins, like in Ella's prophecy," Annabeth said. "If we could figure out those lines, it might help."**

There was an assortment of muttered 'yes and 'yeah'.

"**Wisdom's daughter walks alone," Percy said. "The Mark of Athena burns through Rome. Annabeth, that's got to mean you. Juno told me … well, she said you had a hard task ahead of you in Rome. She said she doubted you could do it.**

AS smirked, while Annabeth glared at the ground. "Well," Thalia started, "it's a good thing you proved her wrong, isn't it?"

"Yeah," AS replied smugly, "the look on Hera's face was worth it." Upon hearing these words, Annabeth grinned. She couldn't wait to see Hera's face.

**But I know she's wrong."**

AS leaned back and whispered a 'thank you' in her fiancé's ear. Percy, who had dried himself and his cousins off, simply nodded, and pulled her closer to him.

**Annabeth took a long breath. "Reyna was about to tell me something right before the ship fired on us. She said there was an old legend among the Roman praetors—something that had to do with Athena. She said it might be the reason Greeks and Romans could never get along."**

**Leo and Hazel exchanged nervous looks.**

"**Nemesis mentioned something similar," Leo said. "She talked about an old score that had to be settled—"**

"**The one thing that might bring the gods' two natures into harmony," Hazel recalled. "'An old wrong finally avenged.'"**

**Percy drew a frowny face in his blue whipped cream. "I was only a praetor for about two hours.** **Jason, you ever hear a legend like that?"**

"Yes," Percy muttered in response to his question.

**Jason was still holding Piper's hand. His fingers had turned clammy.**

"**I … uh, I'm not sure," he said. "I'll give it some thought."**

**Percy narrowed his eyes. "You're not sure?"**

"That does sound suspicious." An Athena camper admitted.

**Jason didn't respond. Piper wanted to ask him what was wrong. She could tell he didn't want to discuss this old legend. She caught his eye, and he pleaded silently, Later.**

**Hazel broke the silence. "What about the other lines?" She turned her ruby-encrusted plate. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death."**

"Nico," Zhedios said under his breath.

"**Giants' bane stands gold and pale," Frank added, "Won through pain from a woven jail."**

"Makes perfect sense now that we're done with it," Thalia whispered to Percy, AS, and Nico. They nodded in agreement.

"**Giants' bane," Leo said. "Anything that's a giants' bane is good for us, right? That's probably what we need to find. If it can help the gods get their schizophrenic act together, that's good."**

**Percy nodded. "We can't kill the giants without the help of the gods."**

**Jason turned to Frank and Hazel. "I thought you guys killed that one giant in Alaska without a god's help, just the two of you."**

"**Alcyoneus was a special case," Frank said. "He was only immortal in the territory where he was reborn—Alaska. But not in Canada. I wish I could kill all the giants by dragging them across the border from Alaska into Canada, but …" He shrugged. "Percy's right, we'll need the gods."**

"They wouldn't be much help if they're suffering from MPD," Annabeth frowned.

"What's MPD?" Connor asked stupidly.

Annabeth facepalmed, "Multiple Personality Disorder." She replied.

Travis turned to his brother and slapped upside the head, "Even _I _knew that, Connor."

"Well, _sorry_. I thought it was okay to ask questions!"

"Not stupid ones!" His brother retorted.

**Piper gazed at the walls. She really wished Leo hadn't enchanted them with images of Camp Half-Blood. It was like a doorway to home that she could never go through. She watched the hearth of Hestia burning in the middle of the green as the cabins turned off their lights for curfew.**

**She wondered how the Roman demigods, Frank and Hazel, felt about those images. They'd never even been to Camp Half-Blood. Did it seem alien to them, or unfair that Camp Jupiter wasn't represented? Did it make them miss their own home?**

"Let's ask them when we get back," Percy said. AS groaned.

"Seaweed Brain, the question isn't that important."

Zhedios piped in then, "But, Dad, if it makes you feel any better, it did make them homesick."

Percy nodded approvingly in his son's direction, while AS just rolled her eyes at the two of them.

**The other lines of the prophecy turned in Piper's mind. What was a woven jail? How could twins snuff out an angel's breath? The key to endless death didn't sound very cheerful, either.**

"Archane's jail and the Doors of Death," Nico muttered so no one but Thalia, Percy, Zhedios, and AS heard him.

"**So …" Leo pushed his chair away from the table. "First things first, I guess. We'll have to put down in the morning to finish repairs."**

"**Someplace close to a city," Annabeth suggested, "in case we need supplies. But somewhere out of the way, so the Romans will have trouble finding us. Any ideas?"**

**No one spoke. Piper remembered her vision in the knife: the strange man in purple, holding out a goblet and beckoning to her. He'd been standing in front of a sign that read TOPEKA 32.**

"**Well," she ventured, "how do you guys feel about Kansas?"**

"I hate the place." Connor said cheerfully.

"How would you know what it's like?" Katie asked.

"We," he gestured to himself and Travis, "grew up there." Everybody raised their eyebrows at this. You learn something new every day.

Then, Luke stepped forward. "I believe it's time for our duel, Jackson." He said while smiling cruelly.

Percy rolled his eyes, but stepped forward also, "Then come on, let's go," He started walking away, but turned back around, "or do I need to escort you there?" This caused laughter to spread through the crowd and Luke to get angrier. Luke started walking to the arena, muttering curses.

Percy raised his eyebrow at the sight, but turned to the crowd, 'Well then, I believe we have a fight to attend." He pulled out Riptide and uncapped it, then started walking towards the arena humming a song that sounded like 'This is War' by 30 Seconds to Mars. Everyone else shrugged, but walked behind him, chatting nervously, and placing bets about who was going to win.

* * *

**Okay, so duel time! I think I'll enjoy writing this next chapter. ;) **

**So, as always, thanks for the support, and to the Guest who wanted humble Percy, I'll be sure to add him in there. See ya next time! :D**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	11. Duel!

_**Luke's POV**_

After walking away from the group of traitors, I headed into the arena and towards the sword rack. I shuffled through the swords until I finally found the one I had labeled as my own. Right as I found my sword, everyone began to walk into the arena. All of the campers sat down except for Percy, the older version of Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, Rachel, Grover, Poseidon, and that little brat, Zhedios.

Thalia, Rachel, and Zhedios gave Percy a quick hug, while Poseidon, Nico, and Grover gave Percy a pat on the back and a few words. Lastly, Annabeth gave him a quick kiss, and then they all went to find a seat. Percy looked after them for a moment, and then he turned to me. I smirked, "Ready to go, Jackson? Or do you need a few minutes to prepare?"

He rolled his eyes, "Let's just get this done with, Castellan." Chiron started to trot over to us, and Percy put his sword into the ground, point first. "First things first, I want this to be a fair fight, so I will not use any of my powers. Also, after this fight, I wish for you to stop insulting myself and my family. Understood?" He stuck out his hand.

I studied his face, and shook it, "Fair enough." Chiron cleared his throat and turned to the campers.

"We are all here to witness a duel between Luke Castellan and Percy Jackson," He started. I rolled my eyes, no duh. Chiron turned to us and looked at us pointedly, "There will be no killing or maiming, is that clear?" Percy and I nodded. "Good, get into your positions, and you may start at any time."

_Finally._ I turned towards Percy, and he did the same to me. I could hear the crowd sucking in a breath as we stared at each other. Sea green eyes met blue ones, and I swear I saw disappointment in them. Growling slightly, I launched an overhead cut at him. He deflected it easily, sidestepped, and managed to catch me off guard when he slashed at my shoulder. I just barely managed to lift my blade to defend myself. The impact of our swords jarred my arm, and I quickly stepped about three feet away.

He quickly followed up, and I tried attacking his right side. Once again, it was deflected, and I could tell he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Alright, so he's a good swordsman, but I'm better. He and I shuffled in a circle, searching for the other's weakness. Every once in a while we would raise our swords and attack the other, but it would all end with it being deflected. I was growing tired, and it looked like Percy was also.

The crowd was holding in breaths every time our blades clashed together, and let it out when we resumed our positions. My breathing was becoming ragged, and I wanted this to end soon. I decided to try the disarming maneuver. I expected to hear the sound of his sword clattering to the ground. What I didn't expect to hear was the sound of celestial bronze on celestial bronze and then the feeling of being forced back by a force attacking so strong. I could hear the cheering of the Ares cabin and the future people along with the silence from the rest of the cabins.

I had thought Percy was tired, but now it seems like it was all for show as he battered away at me. I was barely managing to defend against him as he raised his sword at lightning speeds. Too late, I had realized my mistake. One of the biggest rules in combat was _never_ underestimate your enemy. Cursing under my breath, I tried to keep up with his attacks, but it was nearly impossible. I looked into Percy's eyes and there was determination. Breathing heavily, I tried to swing at him in between attacks, but he stepped out of the way, and I staggered forward, losing my balance.

Percy used this to his advantage and stuck out his foot, effectively tripping and causing myself to fall face first into the dirt. I groaned, knowing he had won. Turning on my back, I saw the campers in shocked silence and the people from the future running towards Percy. They congratulated him, and he just simply nodded in response. After the congratulations, he turned and walked toward me, recapping his sword back into pen mode.

Just as I was sitting up, he offered me his hand. I studied his face for a while, and he seemed to notice this. Percy chuckled, amusement shining in his eyes. "Come on, Luke. Take my hand."

"Why should I trust you?" I asked, still suspicious.

"Luke, just because you've labeled me as an enemy, doesn't mean I'll do the same to you." He explained. "Plus, I want to talk to you."

I took his hand reluctantly and stood. "We'll talk, then." I said gruffly.

Percy grinned, "Alright but let me go tell Chiron so he can tell the campers." I nodded, and he went to tell Chiron. I could feel all the campers' eyes on me, all of them in shock, most likely. I couldn't blame them, though. After all, their camp leader, who was supposed to be the best swordsman in 300 years, was just defeated by a guy who they had known for about a day. That was definitely disappointing and shocking.

Whispers were all I heard as Percy left. I hung my head in shame as I heard the most common phrase that was being spoken; 'I can't believe Luke lost to Percy!' Thanks for the painful reminder, guys. After about two minutes, Percy came back, and we started walking out of the arena, and towards the forest.

"So," I started as soon as we were hidden by the trees, "why'd you want to talk?"

Percy chuckled, "Straight to the point, huh?" He asked. I nodded, and he continued. "Well, I know why you hate me and my family."

Now this surprised me. I didn't expect him to say that of all things. "Why do you think I hate your family and yourself?" I questioned, curious to see what he thought.

"You like her." He stated, confidently.

"Who?" I asked because I wanted to see if he actually knew.

Percy rolled his eyes, "I may be dumb Luke, but I have my moments when I can see the whole picture. You like Annabeth."

Wow, he actually got it correct. Congratulations, Jackson. "Yeah, I like her, who wouldn't?"

"I agree, who wouldn't?" He then stopped walking and I did the same. He turned to look at me before he spoke again. "Although, you never liked her in that way before you saw her around the same age as yourself."

I shrugged, thinking about it. He did have a point. I had always saw Annabeth as a little sister, but I guess that changed when I saw her from the future. "True," I admitted.

Percy nodded, as if he had been expecting this. "Now, I'm assuming you think she likes you because of the way her younger version acts around you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He said it in a matter-of-fact tone that didn't suit him.

"Well, yeah. It's obvious that she has a crush on me."

"That only applies to little Annabeth, Luke. After what you did… she realized. Yes, she did love you, but only as a brother." Percy said, looking me in the eyes.

I could feel myself get angry, "How do you know what she feels?" I demanded. "And what do you mean after what you did?! What did I do?"

Percy sighed, and he took a seat on a nearby rock. "Sit down, this might take a while." I did, and when I turned to face him, he was staring at his shoes. "Luke, I know you've been hearing that voice."

I froze as soon as he said this. He couldn't know… could he? _He is from the future... It's possible, _the rational part of my brain stated. The non-rational part was arguing against it. _No, he can't! He's playing with you, Castellan! Don't believe it!_ I decided to play it safe. "What voice?" I questioned slowly.

He let out a short, bitter, laugh. "Don't act like that. The voice that's using you, saying stuff about being a pawn for the Olympians, to revolt against the gods, that there will be a new Golden Age." He looked up, studying my reaction, which was alarm, I'm sure. "So I'm correct, judging by your expression."

"You don't know anything, Jackson." I tried to sound convincing, but my voice was shaky.

"Your voice says otherwise. Luke, just listen to my story. I swear on the Styx that it's all true." Percy stated. As he swore on the Styx, there was a rumble of thunder. Knowing he just made the most serious oath in history, and that he'd combust if it wasn't true, I nodded.

"Fine, tell me it."

And so he did. He told me all about the Quest for the Master Bolt, how he and Annabeth sailed the Sea of Monsters, how Annabeth was kidnapped, and I was responsible for her bearing of the sky (I started to get angry at this one, but I kept it to myself), how he and Annabeth traveled through the Labyrinth, found Daedalus with the help of Rachel Dare, and the battle that followed soon after. Finally, he retold the final part of the second Titan War.

"And then, Luke, we were on the elevator to Olympus. Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, and I. As we were walking, though, Hera's statue fell over, and Thalia got trapped under it. She told us to go on without her, so we did. We came to the throne room, and we found Kronos tearing it apart. Annabeth tried calling out to you, but Kronos knocked her back." I winced at the fact that Annabeth got hurt because I had decided to give into the voice in my head. Percy noticed this, but he kept on telling the story. He got to the part where I stabbed myself, and I decided to speak up.

"So, after I stabbed myself, Kronos was defeated, and you all celebrated?" I asked.

Percy looked at me strangely, "No, of course not, Luke. You were a hero in the end. After you stabbed yourself, you asked Annabeth if she loved you. She replied with 'You were like a brother to me, but I never loved you.'" Strangely, I didn't feel hurt like this like I thought I would. I nodded, signaling him to continue. "And then, you asked me to make sure that this whole Titan War thing never happened again. To make sure that demigods always felt that they were loved. I promised you that I wouldn't let it happen again, Luke. I intend to keep it."

I studied him. His eyes were full of sadness from the memories. "So, what you're saying is true?" I asked carefully.

"I swore on the Styx, didn't I?"

He did. "Yeah, you did." I said. Then finally after a few moments of silence, it finally sunk in. "I can't believe I caused all that…" I trailed off. I felt broken inside. I betrayed my home, my family, because I felt like the gods weren't doing a good job with their children. Truthfully, it isn't their fault. They have to obey the Ancient Laws, after all.

Percy must've been watching my emotions because he got up and moved to where I was sitting. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Luke, I don't know what you're thinking right now, but it's obvious to see that you're in pain. You feel like you've betrayed everything you've known, but you should know that we don't blame you. Sure, some of us might hold grudges against you, still, but you were a hero in the end. That's all that matters."

I looked at him, "Percy, answer me this. Do any of you hate me?"

"No, Luke, we don't. We all respect you, actually. Your death caused a huge impact on us."

I put my head in my hands. It was silent in the area as I thought about all I was going to do in the future. Finally, I spoke. "Thank you, Percy. I'm sorry for the way I acted around you and your family. Now that you tell me the whole story, I do recognize it as a brotherly love." I stood up, and Percy did the same. He was about two inches taller than me, but I looked up to meet his eyes. "Can we start over?"

Percy's face lit up in a smile, "Of course. Just promise me one thing."

I found myself smiling back. "As long as you do something for me. What is it?"

"Go through with the voice. Even though it ended in war, it's still an important event that needs to happen." I frowned at his request, but nodded.

"Alright, will do, as long as you take care of her, Percy. I know you have, but she's very easy to hurt. You know that. She may not always show it, but it's still there." I told him seriously.

"Of course. You know I wouldn't dare on hurting her." He stated. I nodded, and held out my hand.

"Shake on it?" I asked, "You do that for me, and I'll do this for you." He shook my hand firmly.

"Alright, come on, Luke. Let's go see how many people we can surprise by walking in all buddy-buddy." He grinned and slung an arm around my shoulders.

"I think it'll scare them more than anything," I laughed, "but let's do it." I looked over to him, "Wanna race to the clearing?"

Percy smirked, "I'm gonna win, but why not? Ready… Set… GO!" he shouted the last part, and we raced through the forest, with the nymphs calling us not very friendly names.

I arrived in the clearing first, as it turned out, with Percy following a few seconds behind me. Everyone was surprised by our sudden appearance, both out of breath and laughing.

"Okay… should we be scared or excited that you two are getting along now?" Clarisse asked, saying what most likely everyone was thinking.

"Well, we talked, settled our differences, and came to an agreement." I announced, still grinning. Percy nodded, and walked over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Yep, so you all should be glad. No more arguing between us."

Everyone was still a little alarmed, but nodded, nevertheless. "Alright…" Will drawled out, breaking the silence, "How about I read next?"

"Sure," Poseidon said, still looking unsure. He handed the book to Will and Percy and I sat down next to his friends from the future.

Will opened the page and cleared his throat. "The next chapter is **Piper X,**"

* * *

**DONE! Sorry that this chapter is wayyy late, but I was unsure how to go about with it. I don't like this chapter personally, because I just don't think it's that good, but I'll leave it up to you guys to decide.**

**So… I'm gonna leave you guys with a question… What do you all think is going to happen in HoH based on the cover?**

**By the way, I'll post the next chapter asap. **

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	12. Piper X

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Piper X," **Will started.

"Wait!" Chris shouted. Everyone turned to him, but he had his gaze fixed on Percy and Thalia. "You two were supposed to make a storm!"

"Yeah!" Travis remembered. "You were!"

Percy and Thalia looked at each other. "We'll make it storm while we're reading the chapter, but it won't rain, okay?" Thalia compromised.

"That's fine! Just do it!"" Connor grinned.

Percy shrugged, and started to cause clouds to crowd around the clearing while Thalia allowed lightning to crackle every once in a while. All the campers looked up in amazement.

"That's pretty cool." Derek commented, smiling.

"Eh, it's okay." Nico said, dismissing it. "Let's continue to read."

**Piper had trouble falling asleep.**

**Coach Hedge spent the first hour after curfew doing his nightly duty, walking up and down the passageway yelling, "Lights out! Settle down! Try to sneak out, and I'll smack you back to Long Island!"**

Thalia, Nico, and Zhedios snickered at this, while Percy and AS blushed.

Luke noticed this and he turned towards the blushing couple, "Why're you two blushing?"

"Well, you see," Zhedios started, still giggling. "They-" He was cut off by Percy.

"Let's let them find out on their own. I'm sure the book will explain." He said loudly, still blushing.

"Fine, Perce," Thalia smirked. "Continue reading, Will."

**He banged his baseball bat against a cabin door whenever he heard a noise, shouting at everyone to go to sleep, which made it impossible for anyone to go to sleep.**

"How did he expect you to go to sleep with all that noise?" Rachel asked, incredulously.

AS shrugged, "That's Hedge we're talking about. Who knows with him?"

**Piper figured this was the most fun the satyr had had since he'd pretended to be a gym teacher at the Wilderness School.**

**She stared at the bronze beams on the ceiling. Her cabin was pretty cozy. Leo had programmed their quarters to adjust automatically to the occupant's preferred temperature, so it was never too cold or too hot.**

"I need to get Leo to do that to the Hades cabin." Nico noted.

"Yeah, he needs to do that to the Artemis cabin, also." Thalia agreed.

"Forget about the cabins, he needs to do that to my cave." Rachel argued.

"Guys! We'll discuss this with Leo when we get back, okay?" AS interrupted.

"Fine…" They all grumbled, but stayed quiet.

**The mattress and the pillows were stuffed with pegasus down (no pegasi were harmed in the making of these products, Leo had assured her),**

"They better not have been harmed." Poseidon mumbled.

**so they were über-comfortable. A bronze lantern hung from the ceiling, glowing at whatever brightness Piper wished. The lantern's sides were perforated with pinholes, so at night glimmering constellations drifted across her walls.**

"Leo is genius! Designing the ship like that… SO COOL!" Beckendorf exclaimed.

**Piper had so many things on her mind, she thought she'd never sleep. But there was something peaceful about the rocking of the boat and the drone of the aerial oars as they scooped through the sky.**

**Finally her eyelids got heavy, and she drifted off.**

**It seemed like only a few seconds had passed before she woke to the breakfast bell.**

"**Yo, Piper!" Leo knocked on her door. "We're landing!"**

"**Landing?" She sat up groggily.**

**Leo opened her door and poked his head in. He had his hand over his eyes, which would've been a nice gesture if he hadn't been peeking through his fingers.**

"Oooh, do we have a peeking Tom?" Luke grinned suggestively.

Travis laughed, "I think we do, bro."

"Leo," Connor chided, playfully, "don't you know better, especially if that girl is your best friend's girlfriend?"

"Oh, shut up," Katie grumbled. "I bet all three of you would do the same."

"Katie! We're hurt!" Travis gasped, placing a hand over his heart.

Clarisse decided that this would be a perfect moment to hit somebody, so she slapped Travis. "Shut up, Stoll. Continue reading, Solace."

Will gulped and did as he was told.

"**You decent?"**

"**Leo!"**

"**Sorry." He grinned. "Hey, nice Power Ranger jammies."**

"Power Rangers, huh? Could be useful information." Nico mused.

"What're you planning, cuz, go sneaking into her room to watch her sleep like the little perv you are?" Thalia asked, teasingly.

Nico's cheeks flushed red as he replied loudly, "That was one time, Thalia!"

Grover looked on with amusement, "Are we missing something?"

AS laughed, "Yeah, Nico 'accidentally' shadow-travelled into Artemis' cabin while Thalia was changing." She made air quotes as she said 'accidentally'.

Everyone laughed at the son of Hades' discomfort. "It was an accident!"

"Sure it was, Nico. We all know you were planning it." Percy smirked.

Nico glared at Percy, and his smirk wavered a bit. "I was not! I was trying to get away from Persephone before she could turn me into a sunflower again!"

"Dude, accident or not, that's awesome!" Chris grinned.

"I have to agree." Connor added.

"No! It's not awesome! Now, can we please continue reading?" Nico asked the group. They were still grinning, but they nodded their heads.

"**They are not Power Rangers! They're Cherokee eagles!"**

"**Yeah, sure. Anyway, we're setting down a few miles outside Topeka, as requested. And, um …" He glanced out in the passageway, then leaned inside again. "Thanks for not hating me, about blowing up the Romans yesterday."**

**Piper rubbed her eyes. The feast in New Rome had been only yesterday? "That's okay, Leo. You weren't in control of yourself."**

"**Yeah, but still … you didn't have to stick up for me."**

"**Are you kidding? You're like the annoying little brother I never had. Of course I'll stick up for you."**

"If she wants an annoying little brother, she can have both of mine." Annabeth muttered under her breath. Malcolm heard her, and held back a laugh.

"**Uh … thanks?"**

**From above, Coach Hedge yelled, "Thar she blows! Kansas, ahoy!"**

"**Holy Hephaestus," Leo muttered. "He really needs to work on his shipspeak. I'd better get above deck."**

**By the time Piper had showered, changed, and grabbed a bagel from the mess hall, she could hear the ship's landing gear extending. She climbed on deck and joined the others as the Argo II settled in the middle of a field of sunflowers. The oars retracted. The gangplank lowered itself.**

**The morning air smelled of irrigation, warm plants, and fertilized earth. Not a bad smell. It reminded Piper of Grandpa Tom's place in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, back on the reservation.**

**Percy was the first to notice her. He smiled in greeting, which for some reason surprised Piper.**

"Percy! Smiling at other girls is bad! Annabeth, you should really keep your boyfriend on a leash." Travis scolded.

Percy, AS, and Annabeth rolled their eyes. "Shut up, Travis. It was a friendly smile." Percy grumbled.

**He was wearing faded jeans and a fresh orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, as if he'd never been away from the Greek side. The new clothes had probably helped his mood—and of course the fact that he was standing at the rail with his arm around Annabeth.**

"And we all know that would definitely boost up his mood." Rachel commented lightly.

**Piper was happy to see Annabeth with a sparkle in her eyes, because Piper had never had a better friend.**

AS smiled, "Likewise."

Thalia, Grover, Nico, Travis, Connor, Rachel, Percy, and Luke all looked offended, "Hey!"

AS smirked. "All of you are like family, not friends. Except for Travis and Connor. You two are insane if you think you're my friends."

"Aw," The Stolls complained, while the rest had smug smiles on their faces.

**For months, Annabeth had been tormenting herself, her every waking moment consumed with the search for Percy. Now, despite the dangerous quest they were facing, at least she had her boyfriend back.**

The Aphrodite cabin sighed dreamily at this.

"**So!" Annabeth plucked the bagel out of Piper's hand and took a bite,**

"Rude!" Will interrupted himself.

**but that didn't bother Piper. Back at camp, they'd had a running joke about stealing each other's breakfast.**

"Oh, really? I didn't know you were _that _type of girl, Annabeth." Connor smirked.

AS and Annabeth glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean, Stoll?" Annabeth asked harshly.

"You act so tough; I didn't think it was possible to act like a teenage girl." Travis continued for his brother.

"And how would you know, Travis? Been observing teenage girls behavior?" Annabeth retorted.

Everyone in the clearing 'ooh'ed and laughed at Travis's burning face. "I haven't!" Travis sputtered out.

"Your face says otherwise, bro," Luke commented.

Travis turned to Luke, "I thought you were on my side!" he exclaimed, outrageous.

"And when did I say that?"

'When you… when you became my best man!" Travis sputtered.

"I don't recall you getting married…" Luke said, frowning thoughtfully.

"Yeah, Travis, when did you get married?" Zhedios asked, joining in.

"More importantly," Nico added, "who did you get married to?"

"It was in my dream!" Travis shouted. "And I got married to Katie!" He wasn't really thinking about what he was saying, and the clearing fell silent when he said those words. Katie's face flushed a bright red, and a few moments later, Travis realized what he said and blushed also.

Silena ruined it by shouting an 'I knew it!' She got up and did a little dance. "I knew you two liked each other!"

"Shut up, Silena! No one cares if they like each other!" Clarisse shouted impatiently. "Continue reading!"

"**Here we are. What's the plan?"**

"**I want to check out the highway," Piper said. "Find the sign that says Topeka 32."**

**Leo spun his Wii controller in a circle, and the sails lowered themselves. "We shouldn't be far," he said. "Festus and I calculated the landing as best we could. What do you expect to find at the mile marker?"**

**Piper explained what she'd seen in the knife—the man in purple with a goblet. She kept quiet about the other images, though, like the vision of Percy, Jason, and herself drowning.**

"Piper!" Chris scolded, playfully. "Don't you know better than to keep secrets from your friends?"

"Apparently not," Poseidon muttered under his breath so no one could hear him.

**She wasn't sure what it meant, anyway; and everyone seemed in such better spirits this morning, she didn't want to ruin the mood.**

"**Purple shirt?" Jason asked. "Vines on his hat? Sounds like Bacchus."**

"**Dionysus," Percy muttered. "If we came all the way to Kansas to see Mr. D—"**

"That would suck." Connor finished.

Everybody in the clearing nodded in agreement.

"**Bacchus isn't so bad," Jason said. "I don't like his followers much .…"**

**Piper shuddered. Jason, Leo, and she had had an encounter with the maenads a few months ago and almost gotten torn to pieces.**

"**But the god himself is okay," Jason continued.**

"Not really." Percy said, remembering his encounter with the Roman god.

"What do you mean, Perce?" Grover asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"You'll see."

"**I did him a favor once up in the wine country."**

**Percy looked appalled. "Whatever, man. Maybe he's better on the Roman side. But why would he be hanging around in Kansas? Didn't Zeus order the gods to cease all contact with mortals?"**

**Frank grunted. The big guy was wearing a blue tracksuit this morning, like he was ready to go for a jog in the sunflowers.**

"**The gods haven't been very good at following that order," he noted. "Besides, if the gods have gone schizophrenic like Hazel said—"**

"**And Leo said," added Leo.**

"Yep! Don't forget Uncle Leo!" Zhedios chirped.

Percy and AS exchanged a look; _in the future, keep him away from Leo_.

**Frank scowled at him. "Then who knows what's going on with the Olympians? Could be some pretty bad stuff out there."**

"**Sounds dangerous!" Leo agreed cheerfully. "Well … you guys have fun.**

"Oh, we will. Let us handle the dangerous stuff." Thalia smirked.

"You weren't even there, Thalia." AS sighed.

"So? I still like to think I'm better than Leo."

"That's what you think," Zhedios grinned. "Not actually the truth."

Thalia scowled at him, but the effect was ruined by the amusement in her eyes, "You're as annoying as your father."

"I get that a lot." Zhedios replied.

**I've got to finish repairs on the hull. Coach Hedge is gonna work on the broken crossbows. And, uh, Annabeth—I could really use your help. You're the only other person who even sort of understands engineering."**

"Yeah, because the rest of the crew are idiots," Nico said, biting back a smile.

"Actually, it's just the boys…" AS corrected.

"Hey!" Percy exclaimed. "I take offence to that!"

The rest of the clearing groaned, while Zhedios facepalmed. "Dad, you were supposed to."

**Annabeth looked apologetically at Percy. "He's right. I should stay and help."**

"**I'll come back to you." He kissed her on the cheek. "Promise."**

**They were so easy together, it made Piper's heart ache.**

"FEEL THE HEARTACHE!" Travis shouted, getting over his past embarrassment.

Will sighed, and hit him on the head with the book. "Shut up, will you? I'm trying to read." Travis groaned, and rubbed his head, while Will opened the book back up and continued to read.

**Jason was great, of course. But sometimes he acted so distant, like last night, when he'd been reluctant to talk about that old Roman legend. So often he seemed to be thinking of his old life at Camp Jupiter. Piper wondered if she would ever be able to break through that barrier.**

**The trip to Camp Jupiter, seeing Reyna in person, hadn't helped. Neither did the fact that Jason had chosen to wear a purple shirt today—the color of the Romans.**

**Frank slid his bow off his shoulder and propped it against the rail. "I think I should turn into a crow or something and fly around, keep an eye out for Roman eagles."**

"**Why a crow?" Leo asked. "Man, if you can turn into a dragon, why don't you just turn into a dragon every time? That's the coolest."**

"Exactly!" All the Ares, Apollo, and Hermes campers exclaimed.

**Frank's face looked like it was being infused with cranberry juice. "That's like asking why you don't bench-press your maximum weight every time you lift. Because it's hard, and you'd hurt yourself. Turning into a dragon isn't easy."**

"**Oh." Leo nodded. "I wouldn't know. I don't lift weights."**

"**Yeah. Well, maybe you should consider it, Mr.—"**

**Hazel stepped between them.**

"Thank the gods for her," Katie muttered.

"**I'll help you, Frank," she said, shooting Leo an evil look. "I can summon Arion and scout around below."**

"**Sure," Frank said, still glaring at Leo. "Yeah, thanks."**

**Piper wondered what was going on with those three. The boys showing off for Hazel and razzing each other—that she understood. But it almost seemed like Hazel and Leo had a history. So far as she knew, they'd met for the first time just yesterday. She wondered if something else had happened on their trip to the Great Salt Lake—something they hadn't mentioned.**

"Oh, how we wish," An Aphrodite girl sighed dreamily.

"No, we don't really wish." Luke commented. Almost everybody agreed with him.

**Hazel turned to Percy. "Just be careful when you go out there. Lots of fields, lots of crops. Could be karpoi on the loose."**

"**Karpoi?" Piper asked.**

"**Grain spirits," Hazel said. "You don't want to meet them."**

**Piper didn't see how a grain spirit could be so bad, but Hazel's tone convinced her not to ask.**

"**That leaves three of us to check on the mile marker," Percy said. "Me, Jason, Piper. I'm not psyched about seeing Mr. D again. That guy is a pain.**

Connor stood up, "All in favor, say 'you suck Mr. D!'"

Laughter broke out in the clearing. Connor looked confused until Chris managed to get out, "Man, you have no idea how wrong that sounds!"

Connor took a moment to reflect on his words, and then he blushed deeply. "It was unintentional!" (**AN: No, really. It was.**)

"Sure it was," Luke smiled. "Anyways, let's continue." His younger brother sent him a thankful glance and he just nodded in response.

**But, Jason, if you're on better terms with him—"**

"**Yeah," Jason said. "If we find him, I'll talk to him. Piper, it's your vision. You should take the lead."**

**Piper shivered. She'd seen the three of them drowning in that dark well. Was Kansas where it would happen? That didn't seem right, but she couldn't be sure.**

"**Of course," she said, trying to sound upbeat. "Let's find the highway."**

**Leo had said they were close. His idea of "close" needed some work.**

**After trudging half a mile through hot fields, getting bitten by mosquitoes and whacked in the face with scratchy sunflowers, they finally reached the road. An old billboard for Bubba's Gas 'n' Grub indicated they were still forty miles from the first Topeka exit.**

"**Correct my math," Percy said, "but doesn't that mean we have eight miles to walk?"**

"Your math was never good," Rachel shrugged.

**Jason peered both ways down the deserted road. He looked better today, thanks to the magical healing of ambrosia and nectar. His color was back to normal, and the scar on his forehead had almost vanished. The new gladius that Hera had given him last winter hung at his belt. Most guys would look pretty awkward walking around with a scabbard strapped to their jeans, but on Jason it seemed perfectly natural.**

"**No cars …" he said. "But I guess we wouldn't want to hitchhike."**

"**No," Piper agreed, gazing nervously down the highway. "We've already spent too much time going overland. The earth is Gaea's territory."**

"**Hmm …" Jason snapped his fingers. "I can call a friend for a ride."**

**Percy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah? Me too. Let's see whose friend gets here first."**

"Why must you turn everything into a competition?" Luke sighed.

"Eh, it's a habit. Stick with me for a while, and you'll get used to it." Percy shrugged.

**Jason whistled. Piper knew what he was doing, but he'd succeeded in summoning Tempest only three times since they'd met the storm spirit at the Wolf House last winter.**

**Today, the sky was so blue, Piper didn't see how it could work.**

**Percy simply closed his eyes and concentrated.**

**Piper hadn't studied him up close before. After hearing so much at Camp Half-Blood about Percy Jackson this and Percy Jackson that, she thought he looked … well, unimpressive,**

All the campers in the clearing mouths dropped. The people from the future shrugged. "As long as she knows I can defend her, I'm good." Percy said dismissively.

"How can you accept that?!" Will questioned.

"Like we said before," Thalia started. "Percy's exceedingly humble; he won't take a compliment no matter what. Besides, we all know he's very impressive."

"Thanks, Thals, but all I'm capable of is protecting people." The campers looked at him in awe, while Poseidon looked at him proudly. Percy had always been his favorite son.

**especially next to Jason. Percy was more slender, about an inch shorter, with slightly longer, much darker hair.**

**He wasn't really Piper's type. If she'd seen him in the mall somewhere, she probably would've thought he was a skater—cute in a scruffy way, a little on the wild side, definitely a troublemaker.**

Grover snorted, "Definitely a troublemaker. Remember back at Yancy when you decided to prank Nancy?"

Percy grinned, "Oh, yeah. It took weeks for that dye to come out." He noticed everyone else was staring at him curiously, "I'll tell you guys later."

**She would have steered clear. She had enough trouble in her life. But she could see why Annabeth liked him, and she could definitely see why Percy needed Annabeth in his life. If anybody could keep a guy like that under control, it was Annabeth.**

The said couple smiled at each other, while Annabeth smirked to herself.

**Thunder crackled in the clear sky.**

**Jason smiled. "Soon."**

"**Too late." Percy pointed east, where a black winged shape was spiraling toward them. At first, Piper thought it might be Frank in crow form. Then she realized it was much too big to be a bird.**

"So it must be… UNDERDOG!" The Stolls shouted.

'Not even close…' Zhedios thought smugly.

"**A black pegasus?" she said. "Never seen one like that."**

"Oh. So it's a pegasus." Travis said, sounding bored.

"Apparently," Connor agreed in the same tone. "It would have been much better if it _was_ Underdog. Don't you agree, dearest brother?"

"Say one more word, and I will gut you like a fish." Clarisse threatened before Travis could speak.

The Stolls looked at each other, terrified. They nodded their heads to show they understood, though.

**The winged stallion came in for a landing. He trotted over to Percy and nuzzled his face, then turned his head inquisitively toward Piper and Jason.**

"**Blackjack," Percy said, "this is Piper and Jason. They're friends."**

**The horse nickered.**

"**Uh, maybe later," Percy answered.**

**Piper had heard that Percy could speak to horses, being the son of the horse lord Poseidon, but she'd never seen it in action.**

"Well, now you have." Derek corrected her.

"**What does Blackjack want?" she asked.**

"**Donuts," Percy said. "Always donuts. He can carry all three of us if—"**

"I hope you don't give him donuts, Percy." Poseidon said wearily.

"I don't, dad. Honest."

**Suddenly the air turned cold. Piper's ears popped. About fifty yards away, a miniature cyclone three stories tall tore across the tops of the sunflowers like a scene from The Wizard of Oz. It touched down on the road next to Jason and took the form of a horse—a misty steed with lightning flickering through its body.**

"**Tempest," Jason said, grinning broadly. "Long time, my friend."**

**The storm spirit reared and whinnied. Blackjack backed up skittishly.**

"**Easy, boy," Percy said. "He's a friend too." He gave Jason an impressed look. "Nice ride, Grace."**

"Last name basis, huh?" Zhedios teased his father.

Percy shrugged, "I guess so."

**Jason shrugged. "I made friends with him during our fight at the Wolf House. He's a free spirit, literally, but once in a while he agrees to help me."**

**Percy and Jason climbed on their respective horses. Piper had never been comfortable with Tempest. Riding full gallop on a beast that could vaporize at any moment made her a bit nervous.**

"It'd make me nervous, too." Silena interrupted Will.

"I think it'd make everyone nervous, Silena," Malcolm rolled his eyes.

Silena got up and slapped Malcolm on the back of his head, "Don't you sass me, Malcolm I-don't-know-your-last-name!"

Malcolm scowled, "Fine."

**Nevertheless, she accepted Jason's hand and climbed on.**

**Tempest raced down the road with Blackjack soaring overhead. Fortunately, they didn't pass any cars, or they might have caused a wreck. In no time, they arrived at the thirty-two-mile marker, which looked exactly as Piper had seen it in her vision.**

**Blackjack landed. Both horses pawed the asphalt. Neither looked pleased to have stopped so suddenly, just when they'd found their stride.**

**Blackjack whinnied.**

"**You're right," Percy said. "No sign of the wine dude."**

"Hey, you Stoll that from me!" Nico exclaimed.

"Of course I did, it's a classic, after all." Percy grinned.

"**I beg your pardon?" said a voice from the fields.**

**Tempest turned so quickly, Piper almost fell off.**

**The wheat parted, and the man from her vision stepped into view. He wore a wide-brimmed hat wreathed in grapevines, a purple short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts, and Birkenstocks with white socks. He looked maybe thirty, with a slight potbelly, like a frat boy who hadn't yet realized college was over.**

"**Did someone just call me the wine dude?" he asked in a lazy drawl. "It's Bacchus, please. Or Mr. Bacchus. Or Lord Bacchus. Or, sometimes, Oh-My-Gods-Please-Don't-Kill-Me, Lord Bacchus."**

"Eh, none of them really work." Connor shrugged.

**Percy urged Blackjack forward, though the pegasus didn't seem happy about it.**

"**You look different," Percy told the god. "Skinnier. Your hair is longer. And your shirt isn't so loud."**

A couple of snickers broke out at that.

**The wine god squinted up at him. "What in blazes are you talking about? Who are you, and where is Ceres?"**

"**Uh … what series?"**

"**I think he means Ceres," Jason said. "The goddess of agriculture. You'd call her Demeter." **

The Demeter kids' eyes brightened at the mention of their mother.

**He nodded respectfully to the god. "Lord Bacchus, do you remember me? I helped you with that missing leopard in Sonoma."**

**Bacchus scratched his stubbly chin. "Ah…yes. John Green."**

"Like the author," Annabeth said cheerfully.

"**Jason Grace."**

"**Whatever," the god said. "Did Ceres send you, then?"**

"**No, Lord Bacchus," Jason said. "Were you expecting to meet her here?"**

**The god snorted. "Well, I didn't come to Kansas to party, my boy. Ceres asked me here for a council of war. What with Gaea rising, the crops are withering. Droughts are spreading. The karpoi are in revolt. Even my grapes aren't safe. Ceres wanted a united front in the plant war."**

"YEAH!" All the Ares campers shouted at the mention of war. "THE PLANT WAR!"

"**The plant war," Percy said. "You're going to arm all the little grapes with tiny assault rifles?"**

"Ah," Grover said, smiling. "Gotta love your sense of humor, Perce."

**The god narrowed his eyes. "Have we met?"**

"**At Camp Half-Blood," Percy said, "I know you as Mr. D—Dionysus."**

"**Agh!" Bacchus winced and pressed his hands to his temples. For a moment, his image flickered. Piper saw a different person—fatter, dumpier, in a much louder, leopard-patterned shirt. Then Bacchus returned to being Bacchus. "Stop that!" he demanded. "Stop thinking about me in Greek!"**

**Percy blinked. "Uh, but—"**

"**Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay focused? Splitting headaches all the time! I never know what I'm doing or where I'm going! Constantly grumpy!"**

"**That sounds pretty normal for you," Percy said.**

"Yep," Everybody in the clearing agreed.

**The god's nostrils flared. One of the grape leaves on his hat burst into flame. "If we know each other from that other camp, it's a wonder I haven't already turned you into a dolphin."**

"**It was discussed," Percy assured him. "I think you were just too lazy to do it."**

"Nah, Nico just distracted him while I got him out of there before Mr. D could remember to." Thalia smirked.

"Yeah, you're welcome, by the way." Nico hi-fived Thalia.

"I already thanked you," Percy grumbled.

"Nah, you didn't." They responded.

"Fine. Thanks for not letting Mr. D turn me into a dolphin."

"No problem," Thalia and Nico grinned.

**Piper had been watching with horrified fascination, the way she might watch a car wreck in progress. Now she realized Percy was not making things better,**

"When does he ever make things better?" Rachel asked.

**and Annabeth wasn't around to rein him in. Piper figured her friend would never forgive her if she brought Percy back transformed into a sea mammal.**

"Yeah, wouldn't have appreciated that." AS agreed.

"**Lord Bacchus!" she interrupted, slipping off Tempest's back.**

"**Piper, careful," Jason said.**

**She shot him a warning glance: **_**I've got this.**_

"**Sorry to trouble you, my lord," she told the god, "but actually we came here to get your advice. Please, we need your wisdom."**

**She used her most agreeable tone, pouring respect into her charmspeak.**

**The god frowned, but the purple glow faded in his eyes. "You're well-spoken, girl. Advice, eh? Very well. I would avoid karaoke. Really, theme parties in general are out. In these austere times, people are looking for a simple, low-key affair, with locally produced organic snacks and—"**

"**Not about parties," Piper interrupted.**

"We would appreciate some party advice," Chris called out, pointing to the Stolls and himself.

"Too bad, you're not gonna get any." Katie rolled her eyes.

"**Although that's incredibly useful advice, Lord Bacchus. We were hoping you'd help us on our quest."**

**She explained about the Argo II and their voyage to stop the giants from awakening Gaea. She told him what Nemesis had said: that in six days, Rome would be destroyed. She described the vision reflected in her knife, where Bacchus offered her a silver goblet.**

"**Silver goblet?" The god didn't sound very excited. He grabbed a Diet Pepsi from nowhere and popped the top of the can.**

Derek made a face, "He's gone over to the dark side,"

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"He drank Pepsi, not Coke. The Pepsi side is the dark side." He explained.

"Okay…" She wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"**You drink Diet Coke," Percy said.**

"**I don't know what you're talking about," Bacchus snapped. "As to this vision of the goblet, young lady, I have nothing for you to drink unless you want a Pepsi. Jupiter has put me under strict orders to avoid giving wine to minors.**

"Unfortunately," A Hermes camper sighed.

**Bothersome, but there you have it. As for the giants, I know them well. I fought in the first Giant War, you know."**

"**You can fight?" Percy asked.**

Cue snickers here.

**Piper wished he hadn't sounded so incredulous.**

**Dionysus snarled. His Diet Pepsi transformed into a five-foot staff wreathed in ivy, topped with a pinecone.**

"**A thyrsus!" Piper said, hoping to distract the god before he whacked Percy on the head.**

Percy smiled sheepishly, "Thanks, Pipes,"

**She'd seen weapons like that before in the hands of crazy nymphs, and wasn't thrilled to see one again, but she tried to sound impressed. "Oh, what a mighty weapon!"**

"**Indeed," Bacchus agreed. "I'm glad someone in your group is smart. The pinecone is a fearsome tool of destruction!**

"Fearsome, huh?" Travis asked, smiling.

"Oh, it is." Zhedios shivered. "Never _ever _set fireworks off in the forest. It doesn't end too well."

"When did you set fireworks off, Zhed?" Percy asked, looking down at his future son.

"For my birthday," he replied. "Uncle Leo helped me."

Percy and AS's eyes widened and the same thought was running through both of their minds: _Keep Zhedios away from Leo. Leo'll end up severely injuring him in one of his stunts._

**I was a demigod myself in the first Giant War, you know. The son of Jupiter!"**

**Jason flinched. Probably he wasn't thrilled to be reminded that the Wine Dude was technically his big brother.**

Thalia stuck her tongue out while people laughed, not sympathetically at all.

**Bacchus swung his staff through the air, though his potbelly almost threw him off balance. "Of course that was long before I invented wine and became an immortal. I fought side by side with the gods and some other demigod … Harry Cleese, I think."**

"**Heracles?" Piper suggested politely.**

"**Whatever," Bacchus said. "Anyway, I killed the giant Ephialtes and his brother Otis. Horrible boors, those two. Pinecone in the face for both of them!"**

**Piper held her breath. All at once, several ideas came together in her head—the visions in the knife, the lines of the prophecy they'd been discussing the night before. She felt like she used to when she was scuba diving with her father, and he would wipe her mask for her underwater. Suddenly, everything was clearer.**

"**Lord Bacchus," she said, trying to control the nervousness in her voice. "Those two giants, Ephialtes and Otis … would they happen to be twins?"**

"**Hmm?" The god seemed distracted by his thyrsus-swinging, but he nodded. "Yes, twins. That's right."**

**Piper turned to Jason. She could tell he was following her thoughts: Twins snuff out the angel's breath.**

_Well, they almost snuffed out my breath, _Nico thought grimly.

**In the blade of Katoptris, she'd seen two giants in yellow robes, lifting a jar from a deep pit.**

"**That's why we're here," Piper told the god. "You're part of our quest!"**

**Bacchus frowned. "I'm sorry, my girl. I'm not a demigod anymore. I don't do quests."**

"**But giants can only be killed by heroes and gods working together," she insisted. "You're a god now, and the two giants we have to fight are Ephialtes and Otis. I think … I think they're waiting for us in Rome. They're going to destroy the city somehow. The silver goblet I saw in my vision—maybe it's meant as a symbol for your help. You have to help us kill the giants!"**

"There's your mistake, he doesn't have to do anything." Poseidon said, almost sadly.

**Bacchus glared at her, and Piper realized she'd chosen her words poorly.**

"**My girl," he said coldly, "I don't have to do anything. Besides, I only help those who give me proper tribute, which no one has managed to do in many, many centuries."**

"Because they're so huge, maybe?" Percy grumbled under his breath, remembering the ship that he had sunk.

**Blackjack whinnied uneasily.**

**Piper couldn't blame him. She didn't like the sound of tribute. She remembered the maenads, the crazed followers of Bacchus, who would tear up nonbelievers with their bare hands. And that was when they were in a good mood.**

"Oh, gods," Silena paled.

**Percy voiced the question that she was too scared to ask. "What kind of tribute?"**

**Bacchus waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing you could handle, insolent Greek. **

"Watch it," Clarisse warned the book. Nobody bothered to tell her that she was talking to a book.

**But I will give you some free advice, since this girl does have some manners. Seek out Gaea's son, Phorcys. He always hated his mother, not that I can blame him. He didn't have much use for his siblings the twins, either. You'll find him in the city they named after that heroine—Atalanta."**

**Piper hesitated. "You mean Atlanta?"**

"**That's the one."**

"**But this Phorcys," Jason said. "Is he a giant? A Titan?"**

**Bacchus laughed. "Neither. Seek out the salt water."**

"**Salt water …" Percy said. "In Atlanta?"**

"**Yes," Bacchus said. "Are you hard of hearing?**

"You could say that," Percy admitted.

"Wow, that's the first time you've actually admitted to that." Rachel smirked.

"Shut up, Rach."

**If anyone can give you insight on Gaea and the twins, it's Phorcys. Just watch out for him."**

"**What do you mean?" Jason asked.**

**The god glanced at the sun, which had climbed almost to high noon. "It's unlike Ceres to be late, unless she sensed something dangerous in this area. Or …"**

**The god's face suddenly went slack. "Or a trap. Well, I must be going! And if I were you, I'd do the same!"**

"Wish we had the chance," Percy sighed.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

Percy smiled wryly, "You'll see in a minute."

"**Lord Bacchus, wait!" Jason protested.**

**The god shimmered and disappeared with a sound like a soda-can top being popped.**

**The wind rustled through the sunflowers. The horses paced in agitation. Despite the dry, hot day, Piper shivered. A cold feeling … Annabeth and Leo had both described a cold feeling …**

"So the psychotic snowman is after her now?" Connor questioned, grinning.

Will groaned, "Dude, you've stretched that joke for too long. Give it up."

Connor pouted, but he agreed. "Fine."

"**Bacchus is right," she said. "We need to leave—"**

**Too late, said a sleepy voice, humming through the fields all around them and resonating in the ground at Piper's feet.**

"And here is where Gaea enters," Nico said sarcastically.

Every sense of humor disappeared from the clearing. Everyone was now focused on the book, waiting intently for Will to begin reading again.

**Percy and Jason drew their swords. Piper stood on the road between them, frozen with fear. The power of Gaea was suddenly everywhere. The sunflowers turned to look at them. The wheat bent toward them like a million scythes.**

"That's messed up," A guy from Demeter stated the obvious.

_**Welcome to my party**_**, Gaea murmured. Her voice reminded Piper of corn growing—a crackling, hissing, hot and persistent noise she used to hear at Grandpa Tom's on those quiet nights in Oklahoma.**

_**What did Bacchus say?**_** the goddess mocked. **_**A simple, low-key affair with organic snacks? Yes. For my snacks, I need only two: the blood of a female demigod, and the blood of a male. Piper, my dear, choose which hero will die with you.**_

Everyone sucked in a breath at this except for Percy. He just stared at the ground, remembering that moment.

"**Gaea!" Jason yelled. "Stop hiding in the wheat. Show yourself!"**

_**Such bravado,**_** Gaea hissed. **_**But the other one, Percy Jackson, also has appeal. Choose, Piper McLean, or I will.**_

**Piper's heart raced. Gaea meant to kill her. That was no surprise. But what was this about choosing one of the boys? Why would Gaea let either of them go? It had to be a trap.**

"It is," Annabeth murmured quietly.

"**You're insane!" she shouted. "I'm not choosing anything for you!"**

**Suddenly Jason gasped. He sat up straight in his saddle.**

"**Jason!" Piper cried. "What's wrong—?"**

**He looked down at her, his expression deadly calm. His eyes were no longer blue. They glowed solid gold.**

Luke recalled Percy telling him about how when he was possessed, his eyes were a gold color, also. He grimaced, imagining what it must've been like.

"**Percy, help!" Piper stumbled back from Tempest.**

**But Percy galloped away from them. He stopped thirty feet down the road and wheeled his pegasus around. He raised his sword and pointed the tip toward Jason.**

"Percy's possessed also?" Katie asked, her voice trembling.

Percy nodded, "Yeah, I was."

This statement caused every single one of the campers to look at him with worry, even the Ares campers, although it barely showed.

"**One will die," Percy said, but the voice wasn't his.**

"Nope, not at all." Percy mumbled.

**It was deep and hollow, like someone whispering from inside the barrel of a cannon.**

"**I will choose," Jason answered, in the same hollow voice.**

"**No!" Piper yelled.**

**All around her, the fields crackled and hissed, laughing in Gaea's voice as Percy and Jason charged at each other, their weapons ready.**

"That's the end of the chapter…" Will said distractedly. He was thinking about the upcoming fight between Percy and Jason.

"Here, let me read next." Zhedios got up and took the book from him. "Oh, yeah, you two can stop the storm now."

Thalia looked up, "Right. Thanks for reminding us." She withdrew the lightning, while Percy pulled the clouds back.

"I still find that power pretty cool." Travis grinned.

"You find everything cool, Travis." Katie rolled her eyes. "Start reading the next chapter, please."

* * *

**Hey! Sorry for the late update, but writer's block got real bad. **

**Question: If you had to choose between killing any of the boys of the prophecy of the 7, who would you choose?**

**Thanks for reading! :D**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	13. Piper XI

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Piper XI," **Zhedios read.

**If not for the horses, Piper would've died.**

"Congrats on creating something useful, Uncle P!" Thalia shouted, clapping.

"Was that sarcasm, my dear niece?" Poseidon questioned.

"Yeah… It was."

Poseidon shrugged, while most of the campers looked up at him in amazement. Weren't gods supposed to blow up things when they got offended? The god of the seas noticed all the stares he was getting. "What? I'm not as dramatic as the others, and I'm used to it by now."

**Jason and Percy charged each other, but Tempest and Blackjack balked long enough for Piper to leap out of the way.**

"Good reflexes," Clarisse grunted.

**She rolled to the edge of the road and looked back, dazed and horrified, as the boys crossed swords, gold against bronze. Sparks flew. Their blades blurred—strike and parry—and the pavement trembled. The first exchange took only a second, but Piper couldn't believe the speed of their sword fighting. The horses pulled away from each other—Tempest thundering in protest, Blackjack flapping his wings.**

"**Stop it!" Piper yelled.**

**For a moment, Jason heeded her voice. His golden eyes turned toward her, and Percy charged, slamming his blade into Jason.**

"Percy!" Katie gasped.

Percy shrugged, "I was possessed, okay? Give me a break."

**Thank the gods, Percy turned his sword—maybe on purpose, maybe accidentally—so the flat of it hit Jason's chest; but the impact was still enough to knock Jason off his mount.**

"You were fighting it. I'm sure of it." Thalia announced.

"Thanks for the faith in me, Thals."

**Blackjack cantered away as Tempest reared in confusion. The spirit horse charged into the sunflowers and dissipated into vapor.**

**Percy struggled to turn his pegasus around.**

"**Percy!" Piper yelled. "Jason's your friend. Drop your weapon!"**

**Percy's sword arm dipped. Piper might have been able to bring him under control, but unfortunately Jason got to his feet.**

"And it begins!" Connor stated.

**Jason roared. A bolt of lightning arced out of the clear blue sky. It ricocheted off his gladius and blasted Percy off his horse.**

"How does he roar?" Derek asked stupidly. "I mean, is he part lion or something?"

"Y'know, Derek's got a point," Travis agreed.

"No, he doesn't." Annabeth corrected. "You two are just idiots."

"Hey!"

"Now, Annabeth's the one who has a point," Malcolm grinned.

**Blackjack whinnied and fled into the wheat fields. Jason charged at Percy, who was now on his back, his clothes smoking from the lightning blast.**

**For a horrible moment, Piper couldn't find her voice. Gaea seemed to be whispering to her: You must choose one. Why not let Jason kill him?**

"So, Piper let Jason. Jason killed Percy. The end." Zhedios said as if he were still reading.

Everyone but the people from the future and the Athena cabin gasped. "What?"

"Did Piper just let Percy die?" Will asked incredulously.

"No, as you can see, Percy is very much alive." AS said, glancing down disapprovingly at her future son.

Zhedios smiled up sheepishly at his parents, "Sorry?"

"Oh, so it was a joke." Connor started.

"We like your style, kid." Travis grinned at Zhedios.

"Yeah, we should hang out sometime." Chris finished.

"That sounds awesome." Zhedios agreed.

Percy and AS glanced wearily at each other, wondering where they went wrong.

"**No!" she screamed. "Jason, stop!"**

**He froze, his sword six inches from Percy's face.**

**Jason turned, the gold light in his eyes flickering uncertainly. "I cannot stop. One must die."**

**Something about that voice … it wasn't Gaea. It wasn't Jason. Whoever it was spoke haltingly, as if English was its second language.**

"**Who are you?" Piper demanded.**

**Jason's mouth twisted in a gruesome smile. "We are the eidolons. We will live again."**

"What are those?" Beckendorf asked.

Annabeth was about to respond, when Luke cut her off. "I'm sure we're about to find out."

"**Eidolons…?" Piper's mind raced. She'd studied all sorts of monsters at Camp Half-Blood, but that term wasn't familiar. "You're—you're some sort of ghost?"**

"**He must die." Jason turned his attention back to Percy, but Percy had recovered more than either of them realized. He swept out his leg and knocked Jason off his feet.**

**Jason's head hit the asphalt with a nauseating conk.**

"How many times has that boy's head been hit?" Poseidon asked, wincing.

"Too many to count," Nico answered.

**Percy rose.**

"**Stop it!" Piper screamed again, but there was no charmspeak in her voice. She was shouting in sheer desperation.**

"Use your charmspeak," Silena muttered under her breath.

**Percy raised Riptide over Jason's chest.**

**Panic closed up Piper's throat. She wanted to attack Percy with her dagger, but she knew that wouldn't help. Whatever was controlling him had all of Percy's skill. There was no way she could beat him in combat.**

**She forced herself to focus. She poured all of her anger into her voice. "Eidolon, stop."**

**Percy froze.**

"**Face me," Piper ordered.**

**The son of the sea god turned. His eyes were gold instead of green, his face pale and cruel, not at all like Percy's.**

"I don't like cruel Percy." Grover stated the obvious.

"No one does, Grover." Thalia sighed.

"**You have not chosen," he said. "So this one will die."**

"**You're a spirit from the Underworld," Piper guessed. "You're possessing Percy Jackson. Is that it?"**

**Percy sneered. "I will live again in this body. The Earth Mother has promised. I will go where I please, control whom I wish."**

**A wave of cold washed over Piper. "Leo … that's what happened to Leo. He was being controlled by an eidolon."**

"And Piper's figured it out!" Travis clapped.

"You say that like you knew the truth all along, Travis." Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I did, what're you talking about, Luke?"

"Please," Malcolm snorted. "You don't even know what 90 divided by 10 is."

"Yes I do! It's four!" Travis defended himself.

Everyone stared at him. "Bro, how did you even come up with that?" Connor asked, confused.

"Isn't the answer to every math problem four?"

"No…" Derek started slowly. "Who told you that?"

"Some guy back in preschool. He was the smartest out of the whole class." Travis answered.

"It was probably just luck," Connor told his brother.

"Yeah," Travis considered. "Could be a possibility."

**The thing in Percy's form laughed without humor. "Too late you realize. You can trust no one."**

**Jason still wasn't moving. Piper had no help, no way to protect him.**

**Behind Percy, something rustled in the wheat. Piper saw the tip of a black wing, and Percy began to turn toward the sound.**

"**Ignore it!" she yelped. "Look at me."**

**Percy obeyed.**

"Like a good little dog," Rachel teased.

"I'm not a dog, Rach," Percy grumbled.

"**You cannot stop me. I will kill Jason Grace."**

**Behind him, Blackjack emerged from the wheat field, moving with surprising stealth for such a large animal.**

Will laughed. "So, he's like a horse ninja?"

"That would make an awesome TV show!" Chris exclaimed.

"Yeah, I can see it now. _The Stealthy Adventures of Horse Ninja!_ It'd be a hit!" Travis grinned.

"You idiots can plan your show later, we're trying to read." Katie told them.

"**You won't kill him," Piper ordered. But she wasn't looking at Percy. She locked eyes with the pegasus, pouring all her power into her words and hoping Blackjack would understand. "You will knock him out."**

**The charmspeak washed over Percy. He shifted his weight indecisively. "I … will knock him out?"**

"**Oh, sorry." Piper smiled. "I wasn't talking to you."**

**Blackjack reared and brought his hoof down on Percy's head.**

"Did it hurt?" Clarisse asked.

"Of course it did." Percy answered.

**Percy crumpled to the pavement next to Jason.**

"**Oh, gods!" Piper ran to the boys. "Blackjack, you didn't kill him, did you?"**

**The pegasus snorted. Piper couldn't speak Horse, but she thought he might have said: **_**Please. I know my own strength.**_

"Blackjack's sassy like that," Percy smiled.

**Tempest was nowhere to be seen. The lightning steed had apparently returned to wherever storm spirits live on clear days.**

**Piper checked on Jason. He was breathing steadily, but two knocks on the skull in two days couldn't have been good for him.**

"Nope, not at all." Grover agreed.

**Then she examined Percy's head. She didn't see any blood, but a large knot was forming where the horse had kicked him. "We have to get them both back to the ship," she told Blackjack.**

**The pegasus bobbed his head in agreement. He knelt to the ground, so that Piper could drape Percy and Jason over his back. After a lot of hard work (unconscious boys were heavy),**

"We're heavy even when we are conscious. Get used to it." Nico smirked.

**she got them reasonably secured, climbed onto Blackjack's back herself, and they took off for the ship.**

**The others were a little surprised when Piper came back on a pegasus with two unconscious demigods. While Frank and Hazel tended to Blackjack, Annabeth and Leo helped get Piper and the boys to the sickbay.**

"**At this rate, we're going to run out of ambrosia," Coach Hedge grumbled as he tended their wounds. "How come I never get invited on these violent trips?"**

"Because you'd go insane," Connor answered.

"Yeah, and we really don't need an insane satyr to add to the mess." Travis finished.

**Piper sat at Jason's side. She herself felt fine after a swig of nectar and some water, but she was still worried about the boys.**

"**Leo," Piper said, "are we ready to sail?"**

"**Yeah, but—"**

"**Set course for Atlanta. I'll explain later."**

"**But … okay." He hurried off.**

**Annabeth didn't argue with Piper either. She was too busy examining the horseshoe-shaped dent on the back of Percy's head.**

"**What hit him?" she demanded.**

"**Blackjack," Piper said.**

"**What?"**

"Your horse has betrayed you," A Demeter boy said.

**Piper tried to explain while Coach Hedge applied some healing paste to the boys' heads. She'd never been impressed with Hedge's nursing abilities before, but he must have done something right. Either that, or the spirits that possessed the boys had also made them extra resilient. They both groaned and opened their eyes.**

**Within a few minutes, Jason and Percy were sitting up in their berths and able to talk in complete sentences. Both had fuzzy memories of what had happened. When Piper described their duel on the highway, Jason winced.**

"**Knocked out twice in two days," he muttered. "Some demigod." He glanced sheepishly at Percy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you."**

**Percy's shirt was peppered with burn holes. His hair was even more disheveled than normal. Despite that, he managed a weak laugh. "Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."**

"Oh, yeah, that was funny!" Nico grinned at his cousins.

"When was this?" AS asked, looking at Thalia and Percy.

"Remember when we were fourteen? It was during that time when you went away," Percy gave her hints; he didn't really want the whole camp knowing about what was to come.

"**Yeah, but … I could have killed you."**

"**Or I could have killed you," Percy said.**

**Jason shrugged. "If there'd been an ocean in Kansas, maybe."**

There was a slightly audible 'oooh' going throughout the clearing at Jason's words.

"**I don't need an ocean—"**

"**Boys," Annabeth interrupted, "I'm sure you both would've been wonderful at killing each other. But right now, you need some rest."**

"Thank the gods you interrupted them," Rachel sighed in relief. "They'd be just like their fathers; competing over who's the most powerful."

"**Food first," Percy said. "Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't—"**

"**Bacchus?" Annabeth raised her hand. "Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall. Ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy … change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse."**

"Electric Horse could be the name of a band…" Will murmured quietly.

**Leo gave the helm to Coach Hedge again, after making the satyr promise he would not steer them to the nearest military base "for fun."**

**They gathered around the dining table, and Piper explained what had happened at TOPEKA 32—their conversation with Bacchus, the trap sprung by Gaea, the eidolons that had possessed the boys.**

"**Of course!" Hazel slapped the table, which startled Frank so much, he dropped his burrito. "That's what happened to Leo too."**

"**So it wasn't my fault." Leo exhaled. "I didn't start World War Three. I just got possessed by an evil spirit. That's a relief!"**

"**But the Romans don't know that," Annabeth said. "And why would they take our word for it?"**

"**We could contact Reyna," Jason suggested. "She would believe us."**

**Hearing the way Jason said her name, like it was a lifeline to his past, made Piper's heart sink.**

The Aphrodite cabin winced sympathetically for their half-sister.

**Jason turned to her with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "You could convince her, Pipes. I know you could."**

"Jason!" Silena exclaimed. "How could you be so ignorant?"

**Piper felt like all the blood in her body was draining into her feet. Annabeth looked at her sympathetically, as if to say: **_**Boys are so clueless**_**. Even Hazel winced.**

"**I could try," she said halfheartedly. "But Octavian is the one we have to worry about. In my dagger blade, I saw him taking control of the Roman crowd. I'm not sure Reyna can stop him."**

**Jason's expression darkened. Piper didn't get any pleasure from bursting his bubble, but the other Romans—Hazel and Frank—nodded in agreement.**

"**She's right," Frank said. "This afternoon when we were scouting, we saw eagles again. They were a long way off, but closing fast. Octavian is on the warpath."**

**Hazel grimaced. "This is exactly the sort of opportunity Octavian has always wanted. He'll try to seize power. If Reyna objects, he'll say she's soft on the Greeks. As for those eagles … It's like they could smell us."**

"**They can," Jason said. "Roman eagles can hunt demigods by their magical scent even better than monsters can. This ship might conceal us somewhat, but not completely—not from them."**

**Leo drummed his fingers. "Great. I should have installed a smoke screen that makes the ship smell like a giant chicken nugget. Remind me to invent that, next time."**

"Did he ever invent that?" The Stolls asked hopefully.

Percy was about to reply, but Zhedios cut him off. "Yeah, he gave it to me as a gift for my birthday."

"That's epic. What'd you use it for?" Connor asked.

"I made Jason think that we were having chicken nuggets for dinner."

"You know what? We're gonna be great friends," Travis told the future boy.

"Cool."

**Hazel frowned. "What is a chicken nugget?"**

"Oh, Hazel," Nico sighed. "You still have a lot to experience."

"**Oh, man …" Leo shook his head in amazement. "That's right. You've missed the last like, seventy years. Well, my apprentice, a chicken nugget—"**

"**Doesn't matter," Annabeth interrupted.**

"Chicken nuggets do matter, Wise Girl." Percy objected.

"Not in that situation."

"**The point is, we'll have a hard time explaining the truth to the Romans. Even if they believe us—"**

"**You're right." Jason leaned forward. "We should just keep going. Once we're over the Atlantic, we'll be safe—at least from the legion."**

**He sounded so depressed, Piper didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or resentful. "How can you be sure?" she asked. "Why wouldn't they follow us?"**

**He shook his head. "You heard Reyna talking about the ancient lands. They're much too dangerous. Roman demigods have been forbidden to go there for generations. Even Octavian couldn't get around that rule."**

**Frank swallowed a bite of burrito like it had turned to cardboard in his mouth. "So, if we go there …"**

"**We'll be outlaws as well as traitors," Jason confirmed. "Any Roman demigod would have the right to kill us on sight. But I wouldn't worry about that. If we get across the Atlantic, they'll give up on chasing us. They'll assume that we'll die in the Mediterranean—the Mare Nostrum."**

**Percy pointed his pizza slice at Jason. "You, sir, are a ray of sunshine."**

"Look who's talking, Mr. Pessimistic," Nico teased.

"Nico, you're a son of Hades. I think _you _need to take a look at who's talking." Percy contradicted.

**Jason didn't argue. The other demigods stared at their plates, except for Percy, who continued to enjoy his pizza. Where he put all that food, Piper didn't know. The guy could eat like a satyr.**

Percy didn't even argue, "Yup."

"**So let's plan ahead," Percy suggested, "and make sure we don't die. Mr. D—Bacchus— Ugh, do I have to call him Mr. B now? Anyway, he mentioned the twins in Ella's prophecy. Two giants. Otis and, uh, something that started with an F?"**

"**Ephialtes," Jason said.**

"Dad, get your letters right," Zhedios chided. "Ephialtes starts with an E."

"Well, if he wanted us to spell his name right, he should've gotten a shorter and easier one." Percy defended himself.

"**Twin giants, like Piper saw in her blade …" Annabeth ran her finger along the rim of her cup. "I remember a story about twin giants. They tried to reach Mount Olympus by piling up a bunch of mountains."**

If you listened closely, you could hear the entire Athena cabin mutter 'Idiots,' under their breath.

**Frank nearly choked. "Well, that's great. Giants who can use mountains like building blocks. And you say Bacchus killed these guys with a pinecone on a stick?"**

"**Something like that," Percy said. "I don't think we should count on his help this time. He wanted a tribute, and he made it pretty clear it would be a tribute we couldn't handle."**

**Silence fell around the table. Piper could hear Coach Hedge above deck singing "Blow the Man Down," except he didn't know the lyrics, so he mostly sang, "Blah-blah-hum-de-dum-dum."**

**Piper couldn't shake the feeling that Bacchus was meant to help them. The giant twins were in Rome. They were keeping something the demigods needed—something in that bronze jar. Whatever it was, she got the feeling it held the answer to sealing the Doors of Death—the key to endless death. She also felt sure they could never defeat the giants without Bacchus's help. And if they couldn't do that in five days, Rome would be destroyed, and Hazel's brother, Nico, would die.**

**On the other hand, if the vision of Bacchus offering her a silver goblet was false, maybe the other visions didn't have to come true either—especially the one of her, Percy, and Jason drowning. Maybe that was just symbolic.**

"I wish," Percy laughed to himself.

**The blood of a female demigod, Gaea had said, and the blood of a male. Piper, my dear, choose which hero will die with you.**

"**She wants two of us," Piper murmured.**

**Everyone turned to look at her.**

**Piper hated being the center of attention. Maybe that was strange for a child of Aphrodite,**

"Very strange," An Aphrodite boy said.

**but she'd watched her dad, the movie star, deal with fame for years. She remembered when Aphrodite had claimed her at the bonfire in front of the entire camp, zapping her with a magic beauty-queen makeover. That had been the most embarrassing moment of her life. Even here, with only six other demigods, Piper felt exposed.**

_**They're my friends**_**, she told herself. **_**It's okay.**_

**But she had a strange feeling … as if more than six sets of eyes were watching her.**

"That's not good," Luke said what everyone else was thinking.

"**Today on the highway," she said, "Gaea told me that she needed the blood of only two demigods—one female, one male. She—she asked me to choose which boy would die."**

**Jason squeezed her hand. "But neither of us died. You saved us."**

"**I know. It's just … Why would she want that?"**

**Leo whistled softly. "Guys, remember at the Wolf House? Our favorite ice princess, Khione? She talked about spilling Jason's blood, how it would taint the place for generations. Maybe demigod blood has some kind of power."**

"So, what if a vampire sucked on our blood? Would they become, like, some kind of god?" Derek asked.

Poseidon frowned. "I'm not sure… But I don't think vampires are real."

"Oh… okay then." Derek sighed, disappointed.

"**Oh …" Percy set down his third pizza slice. He leaned back and stared at nothing, as if the horse kick to his head had just now registered.**

"**Percy?" Annabeth gripped his arm.**

"**Oh, bad," he muttered. "Bad. Bad." He looked across the table at Frank and Hazel. "You guys remember Polybotes?"**

"**The giant who invaded Camp Jupiter," Hazel said. "The anti-Poseidon you whacked in the head with a Terminus statue. Yes, I think I remember."**

Poseidon chuckled, "Good job, son."

"Thanks," Percy grinned.

"**I had a dream," Percy said, "when we were flying to Alaska. Polybotes was talking to the gorgons, and he said—he said he wanted me taken prisoner, not killed. He said: 'I want that one chained at my feet, so I can kill him when the time is ripe. His blood shall water the stones of Mount Olympus and wake Earth Mother!'"**

**Piper wondered if the room's temperature controls were broken, because suddenly she couldn't stop shaking. It was the same way she'd felt on the highway outside Topeka. "You think the giants would use our blood … the blood of two of us—"**

"**I don't know," Percy said. "But until we figure it out, I suggest we all try to avoid getting captured."**

"You should always avoid getting captured." Connor tried to say it wisely, but the grin on his face ruined it.

**Jason grunted. "That I agree with."**

"**But how do we figure it out?" Hazel asked. "The Mark of Athena, the twins, Ella's prophecy … how does it all fit together?"**

**Annabeth pressed her hands against the edge of the table. "Piper, you told Leo to set our course for Atlanta."**

"**Right," Piper said. "Bacchus told us we should seek out … what was his name?"**

"**Phorcys," Percy said.**

**Annabeth looked surprised, like she wasn't used to her boyfriend having the answers.**

"Nice to see you have so much faith in me," Percy grumbled.

"Let's face it, Seaweed Brain; you never _ever _have the answers." AS smiled sympathetically.

"Yeah, yeah, but still, try to give me some credit."

"**You know him?"**

**Percy shrugged. "I didn't recognize the name at first. Then Bacchus mentioned salt water, and it rang a bell. Phorcys is an old sea god from before my dad's time. Never met him, but supposedly he's a son of Gaea. I still don't understand what a sea god would be doing in Atlanta."**

**Leo snorted. "What's a wine god doing in Kansas? Gods are weird.**

"True," Most of the demigods agreed, then they remembered Poseidon was in the area.

"Er, no offense, Lord Poseidon." Malcolm said awkwardly.

Poseidon shrugged. "None taken,"

**Anyway, we should reach Atlanta by noon tomorrow, unless something else goes wrong."**

"**Don't even say that," Annabeth muttered. "It's getting late. We should all get some sleep."**

"**Wait," Piper said.**

**Once more, everyone looked at her.**

**She was rapidly losing her courage, wondering if her instincts were wrong, but she forced herself to speak.**

"**There's one last thing," she said. "The eidolons—the possessing spirits. They're still here, in this room."**

"That's all there is to this chapter." Zhedios said, closing the book. "Who wants to read next?"

"Hand it over," Luke stretched his hand out, and Zhedios gave it to him. Opening it to the next chapter, he cleared his throat and read, "**Piper XII,**"

* * *

**New chapter, yay! I read your responses to the last chapter and ALL of you chose either Frank or Jason. XD They're not my favorite characters, either. I just don't feel the same connection that I have with the others.**

**And for the people who pointed out my mistake in chapter 3, thanks! I usually write these late at night, so my thoughts are muddled, and I get the terms mixed up. **

**Anyways, I'm also going to be posting a new story soon! The title is 'Worldwide' and it's a Percabeth story! :D So, be on the lookout for that.**

**Question of the Chapter: If you had to choose between Apollo or Hermes, who would you pick?**

**And that's where I'll stop this AN. Thanks for taking the time to review, follow, or favorite. It means a lot. :D**

**~IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide**


	14. Piper XII

_**3**__**rd**__** Person POV**_

"**Piper XII,**" Luke began, but before he could continue, he was cut off by the sound of a ringtone.

"What's that?" Beckendorf asked, looking around for the source.

Zhedios grinned sheepishly, "My phone, sorry." He pulled out the device, which was blasting some rock song, and looked at the caller I.D. "I should take this." He got up, and walked away from the clearing.

"Um," Malcolm started nervously. "Half-bloods shouldn't have cell phones…"

"In the future, Hephaestus created a brand for demigods to use. That way we don't have to worry about attacks." AS answered, dispelling their fears.

"Pretty cool, and all that, but I'm more concerned with Zhedios's ringtone," Thalia beamed.

"I know, right?" Nico exclaimed, hi-fiving the huntress. "That kid has great taste in music!"

"Guys," Grover said, interrupting the two. "We don't know what you're talking about."

"Right, you wouldn't, because all you listen to is hippie music," teased Nico.

"Nico's right, Grover. You need to expand your horizons." Thalia told him. "Anyways, so that song was 'Down' by Blink-182, one of the greatest bands in the world."

"Besides Green Day, of course," added Percy.

"Wait, who's Blink-182?" Connor questioned, looking confused.

"Dude, how do you not know who they are?" Travis retorted, turning to his brother.

"You don't know who they are, either, Travis." Luke sighed.

"And you do?" Travis turned to face Luke.

Luke was about to reply, when Zhedios walked back over, looking pale and nervous.

"Man, what's wrong?" Derek asked him.

The boy looked down at his feet, "That, uh, was my friend… He told me that everyone is worried about me, especially my family." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "Which is pretty much everyone on Olympus, I think…"

"So…" Connor prompted.

"So, I need to figure out a way to get back. I don't like to worry people." Zhedios finished.

Percy and AS shared a look. If they let him go now, who knows when they would see him again, besides in the future? Poseidon noticed and sighed. They were feeling the exact same way every god feels, having to leave their children.

Taking pity on the soon-to-be parents, he spoke for them. "Zhedios, we'll get you back to your time. But, first, at least stay for one more chapter."

Zhedios looked around, observing all the faces, and nodded. "Sure, I can do that." He sat down in his previous spot and looked at Luke expectantly. The boy didn't hear his parents' relieved sighs.

Luke cleared his throat before starting the chapter.

**Piper couldn't explain how she knew.**

**Stories of phantoms and tortured souls had always freaked her out. Her dad used to joke about Grandpa Tom's Cherokee legends from back on the rez, but even at home in their big Malibu mansion, looking out over the Pacific, whenever her dad recounted the ghost stories for her, she could never get them out of her head.**

**Cherokee spirits were always restless. They often lost their way to the Land of the Dead, or stayed behind with the living out of sheer stubbornness. Sometimes they didn't even realize they were dead.**

Nico shrugged. It did happen sometimes.

**The more Piper learned about being a demigod, the more convinced she was that Cherokee legends and Greek myths weren't so different. These eidolons acted a lot like the spirits in her dad's stories.**

"Yeah, but those are just stories." Connor said.

Poseidon shook his head, "Most of the myths are true. Not every story you hear is fake."

"Wait," Will frowned. "Wouldn't that mean that there are different gods of every race? The Greek and Romans aren't the only ones?"

"Maybe that'll be discussed later. Not now." The god used a tone of voice signaling the matter was closed.

**Piper had a gut sense they were still present, simply because no one had told them to go away.**

**When she was done explaining, the others looked at her uncomfortably. Up on deck, Hedge sang something that sounded like "In the Navy" while Blackjack stomped his hooves, whinnying in protest.**

Grover rolled his eyes, "I'm sure Hedge's singing wasn't _that _bad."

Percy looked over at him. "You weren't there, G-man."

**Finally Hazel exhaled. "Piper is right."**

"**How can you be sure?" Annabeth asked.**

"**I've met eidolons," Hazel said. "In the Underworld, when I was … you know."**

"**Dead."**

**Piper had forgotten that Hazel was a second-timer. In her own way, Hazel too was a ghost reborn.**

"**So …" Frank rubbed his hand across his buzz-cut hair as if some ghosts might have invaded his scalp. "You think these things are lurking on the ship, or—"**

"**Possibly lurking inside some of us," Piper said. "We don't know."**

**Jason clenched his fist. "If that's true—"**

"**We have to take steps," Piper said. "I think I can do this."**

"**Do what?" Percy asked.**

"**Just listen, okay?" Piper took a deep breath. "Everybody listen."**

**Piper met their eyes, one person at a time.**

"**Eidolons," she said, using her charmspeak, "raise your hands."**

Malcolm frowned, did the daughter of Aphrodite really think she could control a creature of the Underworld?

**There was tense silence.**

**Leo laughed nervously. "Did you really think that was going to—?"**

**His voice died. His face went slack. He raised his hand.**

Annabeth, who had caught her brother's frown, smirked at the look of surprise on his face.

**Jason and Percy did the same.**

"Great. You two are possessed again," Travis started.

"Yeah, just try not to kill each other again." Connor continued.

"Because we really don't need that," Derek added.

"We didn't, so don't worry." Percy told the three boys.

**Their eyes had turned glassy and gold. Hazel caught her breath. Next to Leo, Frank scrambled out of his chair and put his back against the wall.**

"**Oh, gods." Annabeth looked at Piper imploringly. "Can you cure them?"**

**Piper wanted to whimper and hide under the table, but she had to help Jason. She couldn't believe she'd held hands with … No, she refused to think about it.**

Silena shuddered. She wouldn't want to hold hands with an eidolon, either.

**She focused on Leo because he was the least intimidating.**

"**Are there more of you on this ship?" she asked.**

"**No," Leo said in a hollow voice. "The Earth Mother sent three. The strongest, the best. We will live again."**

"**Not here, you won't," Piper growled. "All three of you, listen carefully."**

**Jason and Percy turned toward her. Those gold eyes were unnerving, but seeing all three boys like that fueled Piper's anger.**

"**You will leave those bodies," she commanded.**

"**No," Percy said.**

"There's the stubborn Percy we all know and love!" Thalia teased.

"Yeah, only problem is that this is not a time for stubbornness." Nico agreed.

The son of Poseidon rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.

**Leo let out a soft hiss. "We must live."**

**Frank fumbled for his bow. "Mars Almighty, that's creepy! Get out of here, spirits! Leave our friends alone!"**

**Leo turned toward him. "You cannot command us, child of war. Your own life is fragile. Your soul could burn at any moment."**

"What?" Rachel asked what the others were thinking.

"Keep reading, Luke." AS said before more questions could arise.

**Piper wasn't sure what that meant, but Frank staggered like he'd been punched in the gut. He drew an arrow, his hands shaking. "I—I've faced down worse things than you. If you want a fight—"**

"**Frank, don't." Hazel rose.**

**Next to her, Jason drew his sword.**

"**Stop!" Piper ordered, but her voice quavered. She was rapidly losing faith in her plan. She'd made the eidolons appear, but what now? If she couldn't persuade them to leave, any bloodshed would be her fault. In the back of her mind, she could almost hear Gaea laughing.**

"And that's not creepy at all." Chris commented sarcastically.

"Some of us want to get through the book, you know." Clarisse snapped at him.

Chris scooted away from here, even though she was on the other side of the clearing. "Jeez," he muttered under his breath.

"**Listen to Piper." Hazel pointed at Jason's sword. The gold blade seemed to grow heavy in his hand. It clunked to the table and Jason sank back into his chair.**

**Percy growled in a very un-Percy-like way. "Daughter of Pluto, you may control gems and metals. You do not control the dead."**

**Annabeth reached toward him as if to restrain him, but Hazel waved her off.**

"**Listen, eidolons," Hazel said sternly, "you do not belong here. I may not command you, but Piper does. Obey her."**

**She turned toward Piper, her expression clear: **_**Try again. You can do this.**_

"Go Piper! Woo!" The Stolls cheered.

**Piper mustered all her courage. She looked straight at Jason—straight into the eyes of the thing that was controlling him. "You will leave those bodies," Piper repeated, even more forcefully.**

**Jason's face tightened. His forehead beaded with sweat. "We—we will leave these bodies."**

"**You will vow on the River Styx never to return to this ship," Piper continued, "and never to possess any member of this crew."**

"She's serious," Beckendorf said unnecessarily.

Nobody bothered to say something sarcastic as a reply.

**Leo and Percy both hissed in protest.**

"**You will promise on the River Styx," Piper insisted.**

**A moment of tension—she could feel their wills fighting against hers. Then all three eidolons spoke in unison: "We promise on the River Styx."**

"**You are dead," Piper said.**

"**We are dead," they agreed.**

"**Now, leave."**

**All three boys slumped forward. Percy fell face-first into his pizza.**

This caused a round of good-natured laughter, while Percy and Zhedios cracked a smile.

"**Percy!" Annabeth grabbed him.**

**Piper and Hazel caught Jason's arms as he slipped out of his chair.**

**Leo wasn't so lucky. He fell toward Frank, who made no attempt to intercept him. Leo hit the floor.**

"That was rude!" Silena huffed.

"What did you expect?" Connor asked. "Obviously Frank doesn't like Leo."

"Still, he could've caught him."

"Leo fell on the floor, big deal. Let's just keep reading." Clarisse interrupted before Connor could retort.

"**Ow!" he groaned.**

"**Are you all right?" Hazel asked.**

**Leo pulled himself up. He had a piece of spaghetti in the shape of a 3 stuck to his forehead. "Did it work?"**

"**It worked," Piper said, feeling pretty sure she was right. "I don't think they'll be back."**

**Jason blinked. "Does that mean I can stop getting head injuries now?"**

"Most likely, no." Nico told the book. "This is a quest, after all."

**Piper laughed, exhaling all her nervousness. "Come on, Lightning Boy. Let's get you some fresh air."**

**Piper and Jason walked back and forth along the deck. Jason was still wobbly, so Piper encouraged him to wrap his arm around her for support.**

The Aphrodite cabin had dreamy smiles on their face and was starting to giggle.

**Leo stood at the helm, conferring with Festus through the intercom; he knew from experience to give Jason and Piper some space. Since the satellite TV was up again, Coach Hedge was in his cabin happily catching up on his mixed martial arts cage matches. Percy's pegasus Blackjack had flown off somewhere. The other demigods were settling in for the night.**

**The Argo II raced east, cruising several hundred feet above the ground. Below them small towns passed by like lit-up islands in a dark sea of prairie.**

**Piper remembered last winter, flying Festus the dragon over the city of Quebec. She had never seen anything so beautiful, or felt so happy to have Jason's arms around her—but this was even better.**

**The night was warm. The ship sailed along more smoothly than a dragon. Best of all, they were flying away from Camp Jupiter as fast as they possibly could. No matter how dangerous the ancient lands were, Piper couldn't wait to get there. She hoped Jason was right that the Romans wouldn't follow them across the Atlantic.**

**Jason stopped amidships and leaned against the rail. The moonlight turned his blond hair silver.**

"**Thanks, Pipes," he said. "You saved me again."**

**He put his arm around her waist. She thought about the day they'd fallen into the Grand Canyon—the first time she'd learned that Jason could control the air. He'd held her so tightly, she could feel his heartbeat. Then they'd stopped falling and floated in midair. Best. Boyfriend. Ever.**

"I don't know," Thalia smirked. "I think Annabeth would beg to differ."

"Shut up, Thalia," AS grumbled.

**She wanted to kiss him now, but something held her back.**

"**I don't know if Percy will trust me anymore," she said. "Not after I let his horse knock him out."**

"Did you trust her after that?" Derek asked, looking at Percy curiously.

Percy gave half-smile as he replied, "Of course I did,"

**Jason laughed. "Don't worry about that. Percy's a nice guy, but I get the feeling he needs a knock on the head every once in a while."**

"Jason's correct, Dad." Zhedios spoke for the first time since the chapter began. "You do need it."

"Not you, too," groaned Percy.

The boy shrugged, but smiled. "I'm only stating the truth."

Percy scowled, but there was a spark of amusement in his eyes that ruined it. AS winked at her son and gave him a thumbs up.

"**You could have killed him."**

**Jason's smile faded. "That wasn't me."**

"**But I almost let you," Piper said. "When Gaea said I had to choose, I hesitated and …"**

**She blinked, cursing herself for crying.**

"**Don't be so hard on yourself," Jason said. "You saved us both."**

"**But if two of our crew really have to die, a boy and a girl—"**

"**I don't accept that. We're going to stop Gaea. All seven of us are going to come back alive. I promise you."**

Suddenly, the air around the clearing got tense. Everyone knew that you can't just make a promise like that, especially when you're a demigod.

**Piper wished that he hadn't promised. The word only reminded her of the Prophecy of Seven: an oath to keep with a final breath.**

**Please, she thought, wondering if her mom, the goddess of love, could hear her. Don't let it be Jason's final breath. If love means anything, don't take him away.**

**As soon as she had made the wish, she felt guilty. How could she stand to see Annabeth in that kind of pain if Percy died? How could she live with herself if any of the seven demigods died? Already, each of them had endured so much. Even the two new Roman kids, Hazel and Frank, whom Piper barely knew, felt like kin. At Camp Jupiter, Percy had recounted their trip to Alaska, which sounded as harrowing as anything Piper had experienced. And from the way Hazel and Frank tried to help during the exorcism, she could tell they were brave, good people.**

"**The legend that Annabeth mentioned," she said, "about the Mark of Athena … why didn't you want to talk about it?"**

The Athena cabin started paying more attention than they already had been.

**She was afraid Jason might shut her out, but he just lowered his head like he'd been expecting the question. "Pipes, I don't know what's true and what's not. That legend … it could be really dangerous."**

"**For who?"**

"**All of us," he said grimly. "The story goes that the Romans stole something important from the Greeks, back in ancient times, when the Romans conquered the Greeks' cities."**

**Piper waited, but Jason seemed lost in thought.**

"**What did they steal?" she asked.**

"**I don't know," he said. "I'm not sure anyone in the legion has ever known. But according to the story, this thing was taken away to Rome and hidden there. The children of Athena, Greek demigods, have hated us ever since. They've always stirred up their brethren against the Romans. Like I said, I don't know how much of that is true—"**

_Pretty much all of it was,_ AS thought, remembering her quest. Thalia, Nico, and Zhedios all sent her worried glances, while Percy just pulled her closer to him.

"**But why not just tell Annabeth?" Piper asked. "She's not going to suddenly hate you."**

**He seemed to have trouble focusing on her. "I hope not. But the legend says that the children of Athena have been searching for this thing for millennia. Every generation, a few are chosen by the goddess to find it. Apparently, they're led to Rome by some sign … the Mark of Athena."**

"**If Annabeth is one of those searchers … we should help her."**

"I sure hoped they helped," Malcolm commented, raising an eyebrow.

"They did, Mal. Don't worry." AS told him.

**Jason hesitated. "Maybe. When we get closer to Rome, I'll tell her what little I know. Honest. But the story, at least the way I heard it—it claims that if the Greeks ever found what was stolen, they'd never forgive us. They'd destroy the legion and Rome, once and for all. After what Nemesis told Leo, about Rome's being destroyed five days from now …"**

**Piper studied Jason's face. He was, without a doubt, the bravest person she'd ever known, but she realized he was afraid. This legend—the idea that it might tear apart their group and level a city—absolutely terrified him.**

**Piper wondered what could have been stolen from the Greeks that would be so important. She couldn't imagine anything that would make Annabeth suddenly turn vengeful.**

"Well, for starters, erasing her boyfriend's memory and dragging him to the other side of the country would be a reason." Rachel gave the book an answer.

"That would make anybody vengeful, Rachel." Grover cracked a smile.

The Oracle thought about it for a moment. "You've got a point, Goat Man." She finally said.

"Don't call me that!"

**Then again, Piper couldn't imagine choosing one demigod's life over another, and today on that deserted road, just for a moment, Gaea had almost tempted her .…**

"**I'm sorry, by the way," Jason said.**

**Piper wiped the last tear from her face. "Sorry for what? It was the eidolon who attacked—"**

"**Not about that." The little scar on Jason's upper lip seemed to glow white in the moonlight. She'd always loved that scar. The imperfection made his face much more interesting.**

Clarisse rolled her eyes at the girl's antics. Sure, she had some fight in her, but listening to her thoughts on her boyfriend? She'd rather be defeated by someone from the Demeter cabin.

"**I was stupid to ask you to contact Reyna," he said. "I wasn't thinking."**

Silena smiled. Jason was apologizing for being so dense.

"**Oh." Piper looked up at the clouds and wondered if her mother, Aphrodite, was somehow influencing him. His apology seemed too good to be true.**

**But don't stop, she thought. "Really, it's okay."**

"**It's just … I never felt that way toward Reyna," Jason said, "so I didn't think about its making you uncomfortable. You've got nothing to worry about, Pipes."**

"**I wanted to hate her," Piper admitted. "I was so afraid you'd go back to Camp Jupiter."**

**Jason looked surprised. "That would never happen. Not unless you came with me. I promise."**

**Piper held his hand. She managed a smile, but she was thinking: Another promise. An oath to keep with a final breath.**

"Can you stop thinking about that?" Chris asked. "You're making us all nervous."

**She tried to put those thoughts out of her mind. She knew she should just enjoy this quiet moment with Jason. But as she looked over the side of the ship, she couldn't help remembering how much the prairie at night looked like dark water—like the drowning room she'd seen in the blade of her knife.**

Luke snorted. "Of course. More doom and gloom to end the chapter." He was about to ask who wanted it next, when a god flashed in, causing everyone to divert their eyes.

When they looked up, they saw a man in a white t-shirt and basketball shorts. He had spiked blond hair, clear blue eyes, and a grin that was so bright you couldn't look at it for more than a few seconds. Only the futures seemed to recognize him.

"Hey, Apollo," Zhedios greeted him like they were longtime friends, which confused many, even his parents.

"Hey, Zhed," The god answered, walking over towards him. "I gotta bring you back now. Everyone's worried and mad at me for sending you in the first place."

Zhedios nodded, "Can I say goodbye, first?"

"Sure, although, make it quick. I don't want us to be punished like we were last time because we did something 'irresponsible'. "

* * *

**Chapter update time! Sorry for not updating sooner, although I have a feeling that's going to change soon.**

**Most people find summer as a great opportunity to write more, but it's the opposite for me. I find myself updating faster during the school year. And school starts Aug. 19****th****, a day before my birthday. (Yay!)**

**Another side note, I put up a poll on my profile. I'm thinking about making a story after this is completed. I want you guys to vote on who; Derek, the son of Apollo, or Zhedios, son of our favorite couple.**

**Question: What were the first words Annabeth said to Percy?**

**As always, thanks for the review, follows, and favorites. We've got more than 200 followers!**

**Also, SoM comes out in two days! Soooo excited! :D**

**~IllBeThinkingAboutPJOWorldwide**


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